Greening of a Pergola
Pergolas are space-forming structures which are greened and provide shade. Usually they are strong, frame- shaped constructions made of wood or metal, usually with wooden crossbars and/or tensioned wire ropes. Stainless steel ropes are idea for greening your self-made pergola; you'll find examples below. This applies to roofs (canopies), side areas, and supports/columns. Please also note the examples for arcades and vines. The next section will be about canopies without frames.
Greening the Roof Area of a Pergola
Usually, roof areas of pergolas are greened like canopies. However, only climbing plants that can easily grow 3 m and higher are suitable. Grapevines are often an option. Learn more here: pergola-vines.
The following are also options: wisteria, Dutchman's pipe, clematis montana, kiwi, ivy, evergreen honeysuckle, akebia, roses, trumpet vines and wild grapes vines. Systems that are designed with lengthwise and crosswise axes are ideal... in other words, systems that have grid forms with 30 - 50 cm meshes. Smaller meshes, like with nets or prefab lattices, require more maintenance because more dead wood and foliage has to be removed. Most pergolas have strong, parallel beams or rafters. Wire rope (d= 3 mm) is threaded crosswise through these elements and fastened with clamping rings KL00034. As a solution, FassadenGrün presents the system 0060 in different versions. If you don't want to drill through the wooden rafters, the alternative would be to use eyelet screws (for example WH 07080) on the outer or inner side of the rafters and beams, along with staples and staple nails. This alternative is analogous to our basic kits.
Greening of the side areas
For privacy reasons, a pergola's sides are often greened, similar to carports. For this, English ivy or grapevines are planted, the latter usually as vertical cordons, fans, horizontal cordons, or trained in the vineyard style. Different wire rope arrangements (d= 3 mm) are thus necessary. System 0010 or individually designed systems similar to system 0010 are suited for vertical strands. With horizontal systems such as 1060 or even 1040, the distance from post to post is often too great and the ropes then sag. We recommend an additional vertical strand (a "hanger") in the middle of each field between the two posts. This wire is fastened in one of the upper beams or purlins with an eylet screw (WH 07080). The horizontal and vertical wires are attached to one another via cross clamps (SK 03012) at the intersecting points. Many combinations of horizontal and vertical wire ropes are possible. See examples in the photo gallery below.
The greening of pergola posts
Pergola supports are greened much like pillars and columns... so,with annual climbing plants, clematis-hybrids, or even roses. The necessary wire ropes (d = 3 mm) are laid vertically as with systems 1020 and 1030. Depending on the desired effect (one sided or all-round greening), you'll need 1 - 4 strands a post. In the case of rectangular supports with greater width, more than one rope can be laid per area, as with system 4020.
Most of the time, Light and Easy Kits from FassadenGrün suffice. However, Medium and Heavy Kits are often used to create more "fullness" by providing more wall distance. Massive Kits are used for representative and design reasons. The choice of construction style depends on the material/surface (with pergolas, mainly solid wood).
