Garden Structures: Pergolas, Arbors, Trellises, and More

Written by David S.

Garden structures are built features like pergolas, arbors, arches, trellises, gazebos, and raised beds that add shade, vertical growing space, privacy, and usable outdoor living area to a yard. The easiest way to choose one is to start with the job you want done: shade over a patio, a support for climbing plants, a defined place to sit, or a better place to grow vegetables and flowers.

Quick answer: A pergola is an overhead framework that shades a walkway or patio; an arbor is a smaller arched structure, often an entryway, that supports climbing plants and may shelter a bench; a trellis is a flat panel for growing vines upward; a gazebo is a roofed, open-sided structure that makes a shaded place to sit; and a raised bed is a framed growing area with better drainage and soil you control. Pick the structure that matches what you want: shade, plant support, a sitting spot, or a place to grow.

Structure	What it does	Best for
Pergola	Overhead beams, often vine-covered, that shade an area	Shading a patio or walkway
Arbor / arch	Arched structure that supports climbing plants, often at an entry	Framing an entrance; vines
Trellis	Flat panel for training vines and vegetables upward	Vertical growing in small spaces
Gazebo / patio cover	Roofed structure that creates a shaded sitting area	An outdoor living room
Raised bed	Framed bed with better drainage and controlled soil	Growing vegetables and flowers

What Are Garden Structures?

Garden structures are the built elements of a landscape, as opposed to the plants. Some, like trellises and arbors, exist to support and display climbing plants; others, like pergolas and gazebos, create shade and define an outdoor living space.^[1] Beyond looks, they do real work in a yard: structures and the vines grown on them add height and a vertical layer to the garden, take up little ground space, and can create privacy or screen an unattractive view, which makes them especially useful in tight Southern California lots.^[2]

Pergolas, Arbors, and Arches

These three are the overhead and arched structures, and they often double as plant supports. A pergola is a long, narrow framework of pillars and flat crossbeams with open latticework, frequently covered in vines to shade a walkway or patio.^[1] An arbor is a smaller structure with vines trained over latticework to make a shady spot; a true arbor even shelters a bench underneath, which is what sets it apart from a flat trellis.^[1] Arbors are often placed to define and frame an entry, such as a path, gate, or the opening into a garden room.^[2] An arch is essentially an arched trellis used as a gateway feature for climbing plants.^[1] Grown with a flowering vine, any of these adds shade and color at once.

Trellises for Climbing Plants

A trellis is a free-standing or wall-mounted framework of crossbars used to support, train, and display climbing plants.^[1] Growing up a trellis, rather than letting plants sprawl, is the heart of vertical gardening, and it pays off: climbing plants that would otherwise take over a bed are contained in a much smaller footprint, airflow through the foliage improves so disease pressure drops, fruit and leaves stay off the ground, and the plants are easier to harvest.^[3] Vining vegetables such as pole beans, peas, cucumbers, melons, and tomatoes all take well to a trellis.^[3] For ornamental cover, vines commonly grown on garden supports that also do well in Southern California include bougainvillea, star jasmine, Lady Banks rose, mandevilla, creeping fig, clematis, and trumpet creeper.^[2] For inspiration, see our guide to vines that add beauty to your garden.

Gazebos and Patio Covers

When the goal is an outdoor living space rather than a plant support, you want a roofed structure. A gazebo is a small, freestanding garden structure with a roof and partially open sides, usually sited for a view.^[1] In practice, a gazebo or a patio cover simply gives you a shaded, defined place to sit, dine, or entertain outdoors, turning an unused corner of the yard into a usable room. Pair it with container plants or a nearby border to soften the edges. See how we combine structures and plantings in our guide to landscaping for decks and patios.

Raised Beds

A raised bed is a growing structure, and it is one of the most practical additions to a Southern California yard, especially where the native soil is heavy, compacted, or poorly drained. A properly prepared raised bed improves drainage, which promotes healthier growth and bigger harvests, and the soil in it warms up and dries out earlier in the season so you can plant sooner.^[4] Because you fill the bed, you control the soil and give roots more room, and the raised height means a lot less bending.^[5] Keep a bed you can reach across narrow, roughly 3 to 4 feet wide when you can walk both sides and about half that against a wall.^[4] For the frame, choose a safe material: low-toxicity modern treated lumber, or stone or brick, rather than old chemically treated wood.^[5] Our guide to container gardening and soil amendments covers the mix to fill it with.

How to Choose a Garden Structure

Work backward from the job. If you want shade over a seating area, a pergola or patio cover is the answer; if you want a defined outdoor room, a gazebo. For growing, a trellis, arbor, or arch gives climbing plants a place to go, while a raised bed gives roots better soil and drainage. Then size it to the space and keep its proportions in line with the house and yard, and decide whether you want it bare or clothed in a flowering vine. Starting from the use, not the look, is what keeps a structure from becoming an expensive ornament you never use.

Thinking about adding a structure and the plants to go with it? Visit any Green Thumb Nursery location and our team can help you choose climbing vines, raised-bed soil, and the right plants to bring a pergola, arbor, or new garden bed to life.

Garden Structures FAQ

What are garden structures?

Garden structures are built landscape features such as pergolas, arbors, arches, trellises, gazebos, and raised beds. Some support climbing plants, some create shade and outdoor living space, and raised beds give you a better place to grow.^[1]

What is the difference between a pergola and an arbor?

A pergola is a long, narrow overhead framework of posts and crossbeams that shades a walkway or patio, while an arbor is a smaller arched structure, often an entryway, with vines trained over it and sometimes a bench sheltered underneath.^[1]

What is the best structure for climbing plants?

A trellis is the classic support for vines and vining vegetables, training them upward to save space, improve airflow, and keep fruit off the ground. Arbors and arches work well for climbers at an entry or walkway.^[3]

Do raised beds need a special structure?

A raised bed is simply a framed growing area, built from safe lumber, stone, or brick. Keep it narrow enough to reach the middle, about 3 to 4 feet wide with access from both sides, and fill it with a quality soil mix.^[4]

What garden structure gives the most shade?

A gazebo or solid patio cover gives the most shade because it has a roof. A pergola gives filtered shade that increases when you grow a leafy vine over it.^[1]

Sources

[1] University of Florida IFAS Extension, Arbor, Trellis, or Pergola: A Mini-Dictionary of Garden Structures: ask.ifas.ufl.edu
[2] Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC, Vine Selections for Landscaping: hgic.clemson.edu
[3] Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech), Vertical Gardening Using Trellises, Stakes, and Cages: pubs.ext.vt.edu
[4] Iowa State University Extension, Creating Raised Bed Planters: yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu
[5] University of Maryland Extension, Growing Vegetables in Raised Beds: extension.umd.edu

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