January 2022
December, January and February are the times when I search for shade. Shade in the garden, along footpaths and in car parks. I love the seat in between buildings to sit or stand beneath the shade, taking a moment to enjoy the framed view marked by the building either side.
I certainly enjoy the coolness inside due to trees outside of buildings, reducing temperatures within by 10 degrees. One of my favourite shaded areas are under pergolas.
Pergolas help protect against ultraviolet light. That isn’t my first thought when thinking about pergolas in my present and past. Sharing meals with family and friends throughout the years is uppermost in my mind when I summon up an image of a pergola. I always see the plants as well as the people in my memory.
Plants on pergolas can be as varied as the size, shape and materials used to build the structure. In my recent past there is a café that has an outdoor area with fairy lights zigzagging across the space. Along the fairy lights grew an opportunistic passionfruit vine that produced sumptuous, bejewelled fruits. I enjoyed the vision of watching the passionfruit grow as much as the coffee and chatting with the owner of the café!
One shade covered walk way - pergola in Western Australia had a mixture of vines. Over the top was a beautiful mauve flowering wisteria and the upright posts were covered with manicured Trachelospernum jasminoides (star Jasmine) and in between the jasmine and wisteria was an exquisitely scented old fashioned rose.
Cousins have a grape covered pergola in South Australia where I have joined in sharing many meals under at various times of the year. I enjoy each season, but I have to admit I appreciate the covered version the most! I love watching the autumnal display as the leaves change colour, I enjoy the parred back version after the satisfaction of pruning is done. I am delighted at the first sighting of the return visit of the wily wagtails to build their nest once again amongst the furry new growth. When the leaves are large and luscious, the promise of the fruit just forming is when I truly enjoy sitting under that particular pergola!
Passionfruit flower