5 Different Garden installations for Providing Shelter
When it comes to the things that you can do in order to improve your garden, one of the best things that you can do is create a space where you can go to enjoy your garden, even when there is rain or when the sun is too overbearing. There are a range of ways to accomplish this, but one thing that they all share is that they provide varying degrees of shelter. Ideally, they encompass an area that is at least sufficient for covering a small seating area, or enough for a small group of people. The way in which these different solutions differ is how much space they will typically cover, and to what extent they actually provide shelter. This blog will review five different products that you can use to create an ideal space for enjoying your garden.
The first option we’ll look at is controversial, which is a conservatory. Technically a type of building and therefore the inside of a home rather than a garden, it does allow people to enjoy the sights and sounds of the garden space. Although you don’t get the full experience of being outside, you do get the ability to enjoy what is left of it year-round, and no matter what the weather conditions are. The downside is that building a conservatory is a pretty expensive process, so if you don’t want to go all in on, it, you may want to stick to one of the other options. Still, a conservatory is something that many opt to develop as they can provide a truly excellent and unique space for a home, and with a heating source will mean that you can enjoy the outside in comfort.
A pergola is another option, that really is about as far from a conservatory as we will go in our review today. A pergola is essentially a wooden frame that creates a partially sheltered area underneath it. This ‘partial’ shading can then be enhanced by allowing climbing plants to develop on the frame structure, however, even in the most densely developed pergola will still allow for a degree of rain to pass through. Due to this fact, a pergola is more suitable for creating a summertime hang-out spot, offering shelter from an oppressive midday sun, or from a light wind and rain, but in general, there are other alternatives that can be a more effective source of shelter.
One of these, are garden awnings. These are devices that can be installed on the external wall of your home, where a fabric canopy is held out over an area, creating some great shade suitable for sun and rain. They can usually be retracted, which is great for when you want to get the full experience of a nice day. Necessarily, awnings are found right next to a building, as they rely on being installed on a wall. Due to this fact, garden awnings can present a great opportunity for putting a patio or garden deck underneath it, which would go a long ways towards enhancing the space even further.
Another option to install is a fixed canopy. Functionally, these are very similar to a garden awning, but they are more significant constructions. They have a stronger canopy than an awning, and they usually have support beams that help to maintain the structure. As a result of this, a fixed canopy generally provides a better degree of shelter than what you can expect from garden awnings. As a downside, fixed canopies have a larger footprint that might turn some people off, and they also tend to cost more than an awning, with an awning costing around £300, and a fixed canopy costing more than that.
The next thing that you can get is a parasol. This is uniquely different from the other installations that we’ve discussed today, in that you can get parasols that don’t require a permanent installation. As a consequence, they are typically smaller, and therefore less well suited for providing shelter for extended seating areas. However, for smaller groups, these can provide the perfect amount of shade required for a small barbecue or picnic. Their smaller size is also beneficial, in that these are the most mobile option we’ve reviewed, allowing owners to move their seating areas around their garden as and when they want. They are also generally one of the cheaper options available, ranging anywhere from £50 to £250 depending on the size and material they’re made of.