Should I Buy an Arbour, Arch or Pergola? Which is Best for My Garden?

Arbours, arches and pergolas are very special garden features. All three offer both practical benefits and aesthetic appeal, while each having their own unique characteristics and selling points.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of owning an arbour, arch and pergola now, so you can decide which one is right for your garden.

Why Buy A Garden Arbour?

Arbours provide an idyllic place in which to relax after a hard day’s work or on a lazy sunny afternoon.

Garden arbours are specifically designed to provide shade from the sun and an element of privacy, although certain arbour roofs give effective shelter from showers too.

Here’s one of our favourite arbours…

Forest Parisienne Garden Arbour Seat 5' x 2'

Pressure treated, smooth planed and supplied with a fabulous 15-year guarantee, this garden arbour could become a much-loved feature of your garden for many years to come.

It is designed with trellis sides and a slatted trellis back panel, making it ideal for training climbing plants.

Just imagine pouring a glass of wine, slipping off your shoes, and being surrounded by the intoxicating scent of jasmine or roses, while you relax on your new arbour seat. Ahh, bliss!

B&M Top Tip on Arbours

Arbours are clearly wonderful garden features in which to relax. Although some arbour seats will accommodate a couple or small family, they are very much about enhancing ‘me time’, so don’t prioritise an arbour if you’re looking for a backdrop to your garden parties.

The Benefits of Garden Arches

Arches make a beautiful frame to a garden path or walkway. They make an attractive entrance to a special place in your garden too. Some wooden arches can even play with perspective, by making an area of the garden appear larger than it really is.

Just like arbours, wooden arches come in a range of sizes and designs. Amongst our bestsellers are those featuring pergola-style tops, trellis, and slats.

How about this one?...

Forest Contemporary Slatted Garden Arch 3'8 x 2'5

This wooden arch features clean, modern lines and slatted side panels, making it perfectly suited to a contemporary garden.

Beautifully constructed from ethically-sourced wood, pressure treated and supplied with a 15-year anti-rot guarantee, it could be the striking centrepiece that adds the finishing touch to your garden’s new long-term design.

B&M Top Tip on Arches

Garden arches are great for enhancing aesthetic appeal, and don’t be afraid to customise them.

Arches with trellis or slatted sides are effective at supporting climbing plants, allowing you to create a unique garden feature.

If gardening isn’t your thing, why not apply paint to customise the arch instead?

When You Should Pick a Pergola

Pergolas are really versatile garden features. Some resemble arches, and can be used as such. Others are semi-enclosed spaces, providing an attractive place in which to relax in the garden.

What’s more, some of our newer designs are used in conjunction with wooden decking kits to create the perfect backdrop to ALL your outdoor entertainment plans.

Just like this one…

8' x 8' Forest Small Pergola Deck Kit with Canopy (2.4m x 2.4m)

Including an 8x8 decked area, 2 wooden balustrades, a pergola and canopy, this garden pergola deck kit will completely transform your outdoor area.

The canopy is fully retractable, so you can adjust it throughout the day to give you shelter from showers and shade from the sun – perfect for British summertime!

FSC® certified, pressure treated and backed by a fantastic 15-year guarantee too, this pergola deck kit will pay for itself many times over by providing the perfect backdrop to your alfresco dining, family get-togethers and garden parties, year after year.

B&M Top Tip on Pergolas

As mentioned above, pergolas are incredibly versatile. So, if you’re drawn towards the benefits of an arbour or arch, be sure to still browse through our range of pergolas because you might find a garden feature that’s even more suitable for you there.

Arbours, Arches and Pergolas for Sale

Here at B&M, we love gardens, which is why we sell a humungous range of outdoor features, in all the latest styles, at prices you can afford.

You can find our arbours, arches and pergolas amongst our Outdoor Living section. And don't forget you can get free delivery* and pick your delivery date!

Have you recently installed an arbour, arch or pergola? We'd love to see your gardens — share your progress photos with the B&M Community on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

*Please note that there are delivery surcharges for a few remote postcodes. T&Cs apply.