What Is A Gazebo? Why Do You Need One for Your Backyard or Garden?

Gazebos can change the way you use your outdoor space for the better. A well-placed gazebo adds functionality to outdoor spaces, visual appeal, and privacy. Gazebos offer a great space to socialize, enjoy the weather, and spend more time in your outdoor space. There are a range of ways you can configure and use a gazebo to meet your needs. Whether you like to garden, swim, read outdoors, enjoy food with loved ones, soak in your hot tub, or put in serious effort to get a perfect lawn, a gazebo can become a wonderful part of your outdoor rituals and hobbies. So what is a gazebo, and why do you need one for your backyard or garden if you’re a fan of outdoor living? Here’s what a gazebo is, and five reasons you need one for your backyard or garden:

What is a gazebo?

A gazebo is a structure with a roof that allows you to enjoy fresh air while offering shelter from above. Some gazebos might include screens, curtains, railings, or other components that offer additional sideways shelter, and they may or may not include a floor, but generally you can think of a gazebo as supports and a roof. They offer an ideal space for setting up chairs, tables, potted plants, and anything else you might like to have a roof over. Gazebos are often compared to, but differ from, pavilions and pergolas.

While a pergola might appear much like a gazebo with open walls and a roof, they differ in that pergola roofs are generally slatted, to allow air and light through, while gazebos have a proper roof which offers protection from direct sun and leaves. While they’re similar structures with many similar uses, gazebos, especially hardtop gazebos, offer superior shelter overhead, making them particularly useful for eating outdoors and getting shade during particularly sunny or hot days.

Pavilions are also compared to gazebos, but are often lower, flatter, and take up more horizontal space. While a pavilion might be ideal for a public venue, or a large gathering, gazebos offer a scale that’s ideal for hosting gatherings, spending time with loved ones, and upgrading the functionality and visual appearance of a backyard or garden.

5 Reasons You Need a Gazebo

So, why do you need a gazebo for your backyard or garden? The truth is, there are a ton of reasons, and probably too many to list. A gazebo is a great way to get more out of outdoor living. Here are 5 great reasons you should consider a gazebo for your backyard or garden:

1. Gazebos create a useable space, year-round

The great thing about gazebos is that they combine some of the comforts of indoors with many of the joys of the outdoors. In the summertime, gazebos provide excellent shade and protection from the sun, while allowing cool breezes and fresh air through. In the fall and winter, gazebos offer a space that’s sheltered from falling leaves and rain, and a view of the surrounding area. In the spring, they offer a beautiful vantage point from which to enjoy spring-time greenery emerging, and a roof to block falling pollen.

The Olilawn Andes is our most affordable Gazebo series, featuring three different products currently available:

Each gazebo features a beautifully designed frame that is designed to withstand bad weather as well as an excellent drainage system to avoid standing water.

The bottom line is gazebos aren’t only good for a season–they offer benefits through each season. All year, a gazebo provides a usable space where you can gather, host, and spend time with your loved ones–all while enjoying fresh air.

2. Gazebos offer a versatile space with many uses

One of the great things about gazebos is that they can be used in so many ways and in so many configurations. Gazebos offer a versatile space where you can host, relax, work, play, or just spend time with loved ones. Eating, reading, gardening, resting, working–there’s no single use for a gazebo; they’re an outdoor space with a vast range of potential functions.

You can furnish a gazebo with chairs and a table and create an outdoor eating spot, or an outdoor reading area. You can integrate your gazebo into your garden, planting shaded and partially shaded plants around the edges, and enjoy a spot to catch your breath while you garden. A gazebo can function as a poolside shaded area, perfect for reading by the pool, or resting after a great swim. Hot tub owners can put a hot tub underneath their gazebo and enjoy a covered hot tub. A gazebo can even just be a simple, aesthetically pleasing shaded place to mill with guests. Whatever you like to do, there’s a good chance a gazebo can make a valuable addition to your outdoor living experience.

You can also combine configurations and uses as you see fit. Maybe in the summer, you like to lounge near the pool under the shade of your gazebo, but during the winter, you like to draw the curtains on your gazebo and enjoy your coffee in the fresh air. In the springtime, you might put up netting and have outdoor dinners in the evenings and watch the greenery bloom. In the fall, you can do outdoor activities with loved ones–carving pumpkins, sipping cider, and watching the leaves fall.

For the ultimate gazebo, consider the Olilawn Rocky Series: Olilawn 12ft x 14ft Rocky Hardtop Gazebo With Two Shelves & Aluminimum Frame. Featuring attractive, wood-grain support poles and two steel shelves for storage, this gazebo is the very definition of versatility. Not only does the Gazebo feature this unique storage option, but also includes a hook that can carry up to 20 pounds. This hook can be used to hang whatever you want, a lamp to light the gazebo, or a decoration.

With such a versatile space, you can use your gazebo differently each new season.

3. Gazebos can upgrade your garden, yard, patio, or pool

If you love to spend time outdoors, but you’ve noticed that there’s something missing in your garden, yard, or by the pool, a gazebo might be that missing piece. Your outdoor space can be a serious investment–whether you’ve put in the time cultivating a beautiful garden, put in the work creating a well-maintained lawn to enjoy, or your swimming pool is your weekend pride and joy, a gazebo can be a long-term way to enhance your outdoor space further. It can also become your go-to spot for admiring the rest of your outdoor space while you take a break or catch your breath.

A well-placed gazebo also looks great–elevating the visual appeal of your outdoor space. On top of visually upgrading your space, gazebos offer shade, even if there are no trees nearby, and privacy without sacrificing fresh air. However you like to enjoy your outdoor space, a gazebo can really pull everything together, adding functionality and visual appeal to your yard or garden. With a gazebo, you can turn your outdoor space into somewhere you can go to relax at the end of a long day of work without having to go far.

4. Gazebos create a comfortable outdoor eating area

A huge advantage of a backyard or garden gazebo is how easy it becomes to eat outdoors. While eating outdoors is a wonderful way to enjoy nice weather and time with loved ones, it can be a hassle, worrying about falling leaves, wind, potential rain, and setting up furniture. Eating outdoors is often reserved for special occasions, but with a gazebo right in your backyard or garden, outdoor dining becomes simple and easy.

For a premium option that is both stylish and highly durable, consider the Olilawn Alps series of high-end gazebos:

Both gazebos provide a wide range of features such as a sturdy triangle structure and a screwless top (to save time and decrease the likelihood of leaks). Furthermore, the first Alps-series Gazebo features a sunroof, allowing more natural light into your seating area.

A table and a few chairs can turn a gazebo into a comfortable eating area where you can enjoy meals with loved ones and guests regularly. With screens, you can keep out bugs while letting in fresh air. With curtains, you can cut out the wind and enjoy a warm winter meal. A gazebo offers a great way to eat outdoors through each season.

5. Gazebos can encourage loved ones to spend more time outdoors and bring people together

With as much time as people spend indoors and looking at screens, enjoying some fresh air and time outdoors can be a healthy break. A gazebo can be an excellent way to encourage loved ones to spend more time enjoying the outdoors. One of the great things about gazebos is that they add usability to outdoor spaces. Aside from their visual appeal, they offer a place to rest and catch shelter from the elements while still enjoying the outdoors. With so many uses for gazebos, from resting in the shade to gardening and eating, a gazebo represents a range of opportunities to spend more time outdoors with the people that you care about.

Gazebos also offer a way to be close with our loved ones even when we’re doing different outdoor activities. Maybe a loved one is taking a dip, and you can enjoy their company from the shade of your gazebo–or read a book while a loved one works in the garden. Gazebos offer a central outdoor space where we can come together and enjoy one-another’s company.

Keeping You Covered

The bottom line is, whatever you’re doing in your outdoor space, gazebos have you covered–literally! With so many uses and advantages to having a gazebo, they’re a wonderful addition to nearly any backyard or garden. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your backyard or garden to make it more usable, create a gathering spot for loved ones, or just want to add some shade and privacy to your outdoor space, a gazebo is a great way to do it.

If you’re interested in upgrading your outdoor space with a hardtop or soft top gazebo, or you’re in need of accessories for an existing gazebo, don’t forget to check out our range of gazebos and accessories here! Whatever your gazebo needs, don’t hesitate to reach out when you’re ready to upgrade your outdoor experience. At Olilawn, we've got you covered!