Annex pergola with living roof

In this episode of Gadero TV, Henk Jan shows you how to build a wall-mounted pergola with a living roof. From wires to trellis panels, there are many possible options - but our absolute favourite is chestnut paling. Normally used in fencing, palings are a great way to add shade and serve a base for your climbing plants - which can easily be trained along the wooden slats and wires of a paling fence.

Adding life to your garden

Adding more greenery to your garden, what could be better? A pergola with plants trained along the posts and through the roof is one of the great current garden design trends. From a gorgeous wisteria to a handsome green hedera, a living roof adds natural shade and a more playful look to your garden. A chestnut paling roof is also a budget-friendly option.

A climbing wisteria combines beautifully with a hardwood pergola

If you want to add a living roof to your pergola, there are several options available. Use simple wires, for example, or a trellis panel. We, however, recommend chestnut palings, available on a handy roll. The advantage of these paling fences is that they are available in several lengths, and can easily be rolled out along the top of the pergola to create an open roof - which should be carefully pulled taut before affixing it in place. The easiest way to do this is by fixing one end in place, and then pulling on the other. Then, secure the loose end to your pergola, but make sure you pre-drill the timber if your pergola is made of hardwood. Once both sides are fixed in place, move on to the palings along the middle. In this video, we’re using palings to secure the wires between the palings to the pergola beams. A2 stainless steel screws of 4 x 70 centimetres or longer can also be used if you want to make sure you go all the way through the palings into the pergola.