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Garden Gazebo Canopy – Growing Environment

A garden gazebo canopy is not necessarily any different than any of the other types of gazebo canopies out there. Often it is exactly the same thing in fact. Generally speaking these types of gazebos are simply a fabric canopy stretched over a framework of wood or metal. Most commonly they are found in the shape of a square, though there are other configurations as well such as rectangles, pentagons, hexagons, or octagons. Square and rectangle versions are the easiest to work with because of the more regular sides. They also lend themselves to use with drop down netting better.

The main benefits of a gazebo canopy are that they can keep the sun and rain off so that you aren't forced into the house when you'd rather be out enjoying your garden. This can help you to save money on electricity and sunscreen, and may even pay itself off over it's lifespan.

Framing Materials

The frames of canopy gazebos can be made of many different types of materials. Aluminum is the most common metal used because it is lightweight, strong, and resists corrosion. Steel is another common metal, but it should be protected against water due to concerns with rusting. Wrought iron gazebos are some of the more sought after because of the distinguished style of the material that adds class and charm to the structure. Sometimes you will find the other metals that have been molded and treated to mimic the styling of wrought iron, to bring the same look but with less expense and weight.

Wooden gazebos can be bought as kits, but with how easy it is to work with wood, many home improvement enthusiasts would prefer to build their own. Care must be taken when going with this approach though, as the canopies that are available need framing that is very precise. So unless you want to make your own gazebo canopies too, you will want to get the dimensions just right. There are a great many suitable types of wood for framing gazebo canopies, since the canopy itself is so lightweight there are little structural concerns. It is best to use wood with good resistance to rot and insects though because it will be outdoors. The more resistant the wood is to these potential dangers, the more it can be left in it's natural state.

Functionality For Your Garden

Like a shade canopy, a garden gazebo canopy helps to give you a little respite from the sun when out working in the garden. It can make for a perfect little area for you to bring your seedling trays and other potted plants to work with. That way you can enjoy the cool shade of the canopy and then return those plants that like full sunlight to locations they will most prefer once you are finished.

While the benefits of drop down netting for your garden's gazebo canopy may seem at first to favor the gardener on mosquito filled evenings, it's the plants that can most benefit. Because the netting will keep out many pests, it can make your gazebo canopy the perfect place to raise seedlings that need some protection from the harsh sunlight, heavy rains, and damaging insects when they are first starting out. Then as they become more established you can transplant them or move their pots out into less sheltered areas. This gives your plants a good head-start on their growth, and will much improve the overall health of your garden.

In some cases you may want to try to grow plants which are accustomed to the shade. While you can grow these underneath other plants or features in your garden, they might not always get along well with their neighbors or there might not be a suitable spot yet in gardens that are just starting out. A gazebo canopy gives you the ability to grow a few select shade tolerant plants underneath it, and thus opens up the possibility to increase the diversity of plants you have in your garden.

Selection of Gazebo Canopy Fabric

What type of plants you can grow this way will be affected to some extent by the type of fabric you are using to cover your gazebo framing with. Canvas for instance will let a good deal of sunlight through if left in it's natural state, but if coated may block a much greater amount of the light from coming through. Other fabrics have their own opacity, and so if you are keen on using your garden canopy gazebo as a type of shade house for seedlings and plants, choose the type of fabric accordingly.

For your own comfort, it's advisable to go with something waterproof in any case. This will mean that if you do go with canvas, it will need to be treated with a waterproofing agent. Otherwise the leaks will drive you to the house whenever it rains, and you could be losing a great deal of potential value that your gazebo could otherwise have brought you. Since canvas is not UV resistant, you'll also want to treat it to protect it from the sun. Otherwise it will degrade in just a couple years, and you will need to replace it much sooner than you otherwise would have.

Other fabrics may be UV resistant and waterproof without needing any treatment at all. Be careful when choosing your canopy fabric, and you can greatly increase the value you receive in return.

Replacement Gazebo Canopies

Over time even the highest quality garden gazebo canopies will degrade. Ultraviolet light from the sun is not just damaging to your skin, but to most other materials as well. Proper preventive maintenance can greatly increase the life-span of the fabric, but it's only postponing the inevitable. Luckily, so long as your garden gazebo is of popular dimensions there are no shortage of replacement gazebo canopies to be found.

You may find this is a good time to upgrade the appearance of your garden gazebo, whether with a new color scheme for the canopy, or even a different style. If you have an uncommonly sized model or one with a proprietary attachment system, then you may find it much more difficult to find a good selection of replacement gazebo canopies that will work with it.

So bear this in mind when choosing a garden gazebo canopy in the first place, and go for a model that lends itself to swapping canopies from time to time. At some point down the road it's really going to pay off to have planned ahead in this manner.

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