Is it a pergola, gazebo or pagoda? Many people are confused about the meaning and pronunciation of these three terms. However, once the key features are explained, they become much easier to recognize.

When I’m designing a garden for clients, they’re often not sure how to describe what they’d like: “You know. One of those wooden things you grow plants in.”

Others might ask about the structure being built: “Are you building one of those pagoda things, or is it a gazebo? Oh, I don’t know, but you know what I mean.”

I explain that it’s going to be a pergola – “That’s how you say it! What’s the difference then?”

This happens so often, and yet people are always so interested in these garden structures that they will overcome their embarrassment, with the pronunciation, to find out more.

Let’s start with a pergola. The emphasis is on the ‘p’-

per-go-la

A pergola has vertical support posts with beams at the top. They are usually open and flat, running at regular intervals horizontally through the structure and supported by side beams. Their sides being square or rectangular in shape, they have straight lines as the base of their structure.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule: for example; a corner pergola, where the beams radiate from a central point; some wrought iron pergolas that have curved beams, due to the fact that wrought iron can be shaped into more intricate designs; and circular pergolas that, although they have curved side beams, still have flat horizontal beams radiating from the center. Even so, it is obvious that they are all pergolas because they have horizontal beams that run at regular intervals.

Now, let’s take a look at the pagoda, with an emphasis on the ‘g’ –

No – gramode

A pagoda is something quite different. Think Oriental. Think of turrets, like an upside down curved V.

It will often have two or more turrets and tends to be a much larger structure: in fact, it is usually referred to as a building and is not normally found in your average garden. Pagodas were originally built as religious shrines or memorials in the far east.

That said, influences from pagoda design are increasingly being seen in other structures we see in our gardens today, notably the turreted roofs of gazebos and the beams of turreted pergolas. The reason for this is to introduce a Far Eastern ‘essence’ into our garden design, making it a haven of calm and relaxation.

And finally, the roundabout, with an emphasis on the ‘z’ –

Georgia- zebo

The typical gazebo has a covered roof, with open sides and supporting pillars or columns. It can have any shape: round, square, rectangular or multi-sided. The covered roof can be vaulted or turret (think a canopy with no sides). Fabric gazebos that were quickly erected have become increasingly popular for ‘al fresco’ dining.

Some round gazebos, especially those suitable for supporting climbing plants, may have an open roof. The distinction, here, between a round pergola and a round gazebo, would be that the round pergola would have flat beams and the gazebo would have an open vaulted or turreted roof.

These three types of structure are closely related but have their own distinctive characteristics. A pergola should become more easily recognizable now that you know what you’re looking for!