Arbors, and Trellaces, and Pergolas oh my!!!

I put an arbor in my front yard a couple of months ago and my wife loves it. It has a type of honeysuckle vine growing on it but it's deciduous and won't look great this winter. I'll have to come up with plan B.

Now, I want to put a pergola in our new natural area to allow some shade and a bench to read at. What would be pretty on it and remain that way for most of the year in Zone 7a?

Glad to hear someone else with a pergola in the front of the house. I have been entertaining this idea for a year. I asked a friend (carpenter) to build it for me. He hasn't started yet. I have now changed my mind. Please post a picture of yours.

It's actually in our side yard and I haven't put it there yet. I wanted to get some feedback first.

go for it and send pictures

Love arbors and pergolas! Love to see your photos when done. My father and husband made this arbor swing for our back yard. Love it. We have Gold Flame Honeysuckle and Dream Weaver climbing rose on both sides of the arbor.

when you add a plant that the bees love aren't you afraid of getting stung? I'm looking for something that is beautiful but won't bring the bee's as I very allergic to bee's. Yes I know a gardener that is allergic to bee's , what can I say I just am very careful when I'm gardening as I try to be out in the yard when they are the least active.

Beautiful sitting area, love the swing. I have many happy childhood memory's swinging with grandmother and father in greatgrandfather's swing he built. What's a yard without a swing.

Jan

This is my iron pergola. The only thing I have found that will bloom continuously in 100 degree weather is the R-------'s. The vine is a passion vine, but it blooms sparingly. This winter I will trim it back hard and see what happens. The one purple bloom is homestead verbena. Looks like I need to clean up the patio after this rain.

This message was edited Jul 31, 2011 4:54 PM

Wow Jess! That is beautiful.

It's very difficult to suggest a climbing plant that will give colour all year round in your zone, I am in about zone 6 and cant find anything to do 12 months a year.
My only idea tried and tested is to grow a couple of flowering plants that flower at different times like one of my Pergola's I grow a yellow flowering Rose called Golden Showers, (don't know if it is called that in USA) clambering up the rose plant i grow a Purple flowering Clematis, the Clematis flowers Just before the Rose sends out it's flowers and they have a couple of weeks they entwine so you see bright yellow flowers alongside purple flowers, they look great together but only for about 2 weeks together, after the clematis stops flowering the rose continues after dead heading constantly till Christmas most years, November last year. but there are several combination of climbers you could use.
The only other thing that would be evergreen all year round would be something like Ivy, there are several, some with variegations and can look goos but you have to be ruthless with most ivies as they can really get out of hand and every year you would need to cut some growth back but the good thing about that is with the variegated type this encourages more new variegated growth, hope you find what you are looking for, I can say I love adding the hight of these structures as gardens become very flat and lifeless without some hight and trees are not always an option. good luck. WeeNel.

Thanks for the input!

My climbing Jasmine stays green all winter and has small white flowers in summer.

Would you send me a pic of the Jasmine? That sounds like it might work well.