If you are in the habit of tuning in to any of those television garden make-over programmes, no doubt, you will already be well acquainted with the idea of pergolas, arbours and arches. All three have experienced renewed popularity of late - but they're hardly new. Garden structures can be dated back to at least 80 BC when they appear in a mosaic found at Palestrina, featuring ancient Romans sipping wine and lounging under a beautiful trelliswork covered with vines and roses. Not exactly the image you can expect even on a warm day in Britain. But Katherine Swift, a librarian by trade, has created a haven for them in her garden at Morville Hall, and told Anna McNamee they have their uses even when there's a chill wind blowing. |
