Are You Considering Adding Plants to Your Pergola? What You Should Know

You just purchased a beautiful pergola for your Fort Myers home. Your family and guests love the nice shade that’s much needed during the hot Florida days. When you were considering purchasing a pergola, you saw plenty of pictures of pergolas wrapped with plants. Now you’re wondering if you should add some vines to yours.

Vines on your pergola can add a nice touch to your Florida garden. It can add dimension, color, bring new animals, and some can even grow fruits. However, not all vines are created equal and some require more upkeep than others. Here are a few things to consider –

The weather

In general, Fort Myers' weather doesn’t vary much throughout the year. Rarely, we may experience chilly weather. Nonetheless, it’s important to find a vine that will be suitable for the average climate of the area. Some plants that work great in Fort Myers are:

• Bleeding heart vines
• Bougainvillea trellises
• Monsteras
• Passionfruits

The type of vine

Overall, vines can climb in the following ways:

• Clinging – Imagine grape vines. These vines use some of their organs (i.e. tendrils, roots) to hold on to the structure.
• Twining – Think Coral Honeysuckle. These vines twist their stems around the structure upright. If you want them to move horizontally, they’ll need some guidance.
• Sprawling – Such as a Bougainvillea. These vines have no way to attach to anything and will often grow into a large mound without guidance. However, they can be guided up trellises.

How much training and maintenance effort you’ll need

As you just read, different types of vines require different amounts of guidance. Consider how much training effort you want to put out. Most vines grow rather quickly but all need maintenance, such as trimming. 

The plant’s effects on your pergola

Thankfully, your pergola from White Aluminum won’t ever need any painting and very little upkeep since it’s covered with durable, stain-resistant resin. Although your pergola is made of a strong, heavy gauge virgin aluminum, it’s important to trim your vines and not add too much weight to the roof. Doing so will give you more control of the plant. 

If you have any questions about your new White Aluminum pergola, give us a call! We can help.