Gazebos: The Eden of Garden

An outdoor gazebo is more than shade, more than comfort: it is a symbol of elegance and affluence, good taste and luxury. George Washington had one built at Mount Vernon, and Thomas Jefferson wrote some of his most famous works in his gazebo at Monticello. If you love relaxing outdoors and have a taste for fine design and landscaping, a gazebo is in your future.

A gazebo is any free-standing structure designed to help you relax in your lawn or garden. From a portable tent structure to the permanence of wood and metal, cleanly simple to Victorian ornate, gazebos vary greatly in design but have comfort and protection in common. Any place that is famous for its outdoor weather, from Hawaii to Singapore, China to California, is famous for gazebos.

Options for predesigned gazebos have grown as fast as prices have fallen, so you'll find even the most elegant gazebos, filled with luxurious options, to be surprisingly affordable. Or you can go all out and have a gazebo customized and designed just for you.

So start daydreaming. Imagine whether you want a temporary structure or something solid and permanent. Enclosed, or open to the air. A cozy den for two, or room for the family reunion. You can even add slate-style shingles and intricate cornices. Most of all, remember to fantasize about lazy relaxation and happy times.