Pergolas are beautiful and look great in any backyard. Types of pergolas include anything from a free-standing pergola to a pergola that is attached to your home. The roofs on pergolas can range in roof shape too. Open top, gable, arch top, promenade or pitch roofs are all options you can choose from. No matter what type you choose, they will help enhance the beauty of your yard. Pergolas are usually open, which allows for sun to come in. To give you some shade, there are a few things you can do. See below for a few creative ideas.

Plants And Greenery

Using plants to help give shade to your pergola will also enhance your pergola's beauty. You can add climbing plants such as ivy and grapevines. Or use climbing plants that offer beautiful flowers such as:

• Clematis Vine
• Honeysuckle Vine
• Wisteria Vine
• Climbing Rose
• Trumpet Vine
• Black-Eyed Susan Vine

All of these are beautiful and help provide shade, while also adding color and beauty to your structure.

Fabric Or Curtains

You can run fabric through the top slats of your pergola or attach it to a cable to add shade and style. You can also add shade by hanging curtains. The curtains will help keep the sun from coming in through the sides of your pergola. The fabric or curtains you use can be in any color you like, but be sure to use fabric that is meant to be used outside. Fabric that is resistant to mold and mildew is best.

Other Creative Options

You can use other items to give shade to your pergola.

• Use bamboo stalks or bamboo shades lined along the top of your pergola. This will give you the shade you're looking for while also letting some light in. 
• Metal tiles are a great way to give shade. Use tiles that have decorative cut-outs in them to give your pergola some decorative flair.
• Solar panels are a great way to provide shade as well.
• Corrugated polycarbonate sheets are great to use. They let in some light, but block out harmful UV light. They allow you to see through the sheets to still view the night sky.
• You can also use a corrugated tin roof, which will provide shade, however, it will also block your view.

Adding a pergola to your yard will enhance your yard's beauty. How you shade it, or decorate it is up to you. Contact a company like Rocky Mountain Fence & Deck to see what pergola options you have.