Thanks for all the great comments last week! I loved reading all about your springtime house and garden projects. Our patio pergola project is now complete, thanks to the tenacious team that worked, uncomplainingly, through driving rain, gale force wind, and brief moments of sunshine. Here are pictures of the final stages of the project:
As detailed in Patio Pergola Project, Part One, the crew made tremendous progress on Friday and Saturday. They pried up huge slabs of blue stone; they dug up, extended, and graveled the existing patio, and they cemented four posts for a pergola. They also replaced and leveled the best of the blue stone. Phew!
On Sunday, the crew not only finished the stone work — they built the pergola, too!
Using nothing more than a chisel and a hammer, the talented team cut notches in the support posts.
Then they cut long boards at a sharp angle…
And fit them into the aforementioned nooks.
Then they cut, notched, and installed additional boards…
Until the pergola became a reality.
Feeling optimistic, Fox and I immediately placed a long table and six chairs beneath the pergola.
The crew promptly removed said table and chairs, in order to sweep sand into the cracks between stones. Then they scattered grass seed and straw as needed around the patio.
Of course, now that the pergola and patio are finished, I realize just how unsightly the door on the 1940’s era “no-car” garage is. Or perhaps I should say “was.” Next week, I’ll show you how I made the garage door disappear!
Answers to questions from last week’s post:
Will you paint the pergola? Yes, although the builder advised us to wait a year. Our plan is to paint the wood white to match the house clapboard.
Will you grow vines on the pergola? Yes, but not until the structure has been painted. And even then, I will probably grow only annual vines, such ‘Heavenly Blue’ morning glories. This summer I look forward to suspending colorful hanging baskets from the pergola!
Thanks so much for sweating out this project with me. xKevin
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mlaiuppa says
Amazing that was accomplished in two days. You are also very smart to lay the bluestone in sand and sweep sand in between to lock it in. My gas line has to be replaced and I will be pulling up the bricks the short distance from the garage to the house and uncovering the line before the plumber get here. Why pay plumber’s rates to dig a trench? The job could have been a lot worse if I had allowed a concrete base to be poured before the bricks were laid.
As to the garage door, let me take a guess. Put lattice over the opening and grow vines up? Perhaps even planters across with the lattice as a trellis and grow them up.
I have three pergolas. The front one is attached to an 8 ft fence and has a brick-in-sand patio beneath. I am growing grape vines over it but I must replace some boards due to termites. It is 20 years old so to be expected. The back one was also on a fence but was taken down when that fence was replaced and hasn’t been rebuilt yet. It had roses growing over it but I will be planting another grape vine to go over it when the time comes. The third pergola is freestanding between the house and garage. I bought some fiberglass Greek columns for it. Last summer I put up LED patio lights and it is bright enough to work during the summer after dark. I have hooks for hanging baskets but am not going to replant them until I install a drip irrigation system on a timer. I hate to water so this is the only way anything in the hanging baskets will survive. I have also put a shade cloth over the top that blocks 40% of the sunlight which seems to be just about right for fuchsias.
Not sure how hot and sunny it gets where you are but you might consider a light shade cloth in the future and if it gets really hot, misters. Glad to hear you are doing annuals as while wisteria are absolutely beautiful they are also invasive and difficult to eradicate. The advantage to grapes is that after a few years of pruning they not only provide shade but also food.
Sandra says
Love the new pergola. Wow, great work in such a short time. Looking forward to seeing hanging baskets this summer. xoxo
Shelagh Morrison says
I love your new pergola. Lucky you to find such craftsmen!
My question is, will you plant to soften the hard edges of the blue stone to grass transition? More boxwood perhaps? I ask because I’m in planning mode myself and working with a designer who likes straight edges. As a rural resident, I’m grappling with my preference for softer, more natural transitions.
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
Very timely project, Kevin.
Right before your Pergola posts, I declared my intention to my husband to construct a Pergola in our hot back yard. We lost a shade tree 18 months ago and garden chores are nearly intolerable when weather warms up. I must constantly pause and dash into the house for a cool respite. I need a source of shade out there. His response was “Can’t you just move the umbrella around?” Meaning the umbrella that is attached to my 7 foot long potting station, standing in a weighted base. Takes at least 15 minutes to reposition. With 2 people.
I applaud your imagination in being able to visualize solutions and your intuitive design sense.
SarahBeth says
Lovely, Kevin. Annuals are a great idea. I love morning glories myself. I wanted to suggest Thumbergia also. I have used this cheerful climber next to my back door for years and look forward to its bright face arcing over my entry all summer. I use the one shade yellow, not the orange or red tone. I have a big pot next to the door, but a healthy basket from a local nursery, remove the hanging plastic pot and drop it into the big ceramic ‘home’. I’ve had years when it’s grown 15 feet. Gorgeous!
louise says
Absolutely love it❤️
Sarah S. says
It looks beautiful! But beware of Morning Glories. I planted some on my vegetable garden fence one year thinking it would look pretty. I spent the next decade pulling up seedlings! The seeds stay viable a looong time in the soil seed bank!
Sandra says
Moon vine would be beautiful. The flowers are gorgeous and open in the evening just when you would be entertaining! As a bonus, they have a lovely fragrance.
Jody Mandel says
Best of luck to you with the new Pergola, Kevin! It’s a great addition, and I’m sure you are going to love it.
I have a freestanding pergola in my backyard covered with Hydrangea Schizophragma Moonlight. The blooms are intoxicating from this species, and I love sitting in it at that time, getting drunk on the smell!
I trained the hydrangea onto the pergola using a combination of thumbtacks and twist ties. My pergola has solid walls halfway up. The hydrangea easily attaches itself to the walls. To encourage growing above the walls, I originally put up this nylon netting, which I have since taken down, because I no longer need it.
I enjoyed the years I spent training the hydrangeas to grow up the pergola. I have pictures from the beginning. I can show you if you’d like.
Best regards and be well, Jody.
Hoosier Gardener says
If you would like a very fragrant hardy, non-invasive honeysuckle that blooms non-stop all summer into fall, check out ‘Scentsation’ honeysuckle by Proven Winners. It grows 10′ a year!
Unlike other honeysuckles. It’s definitely a winner.
Janis says
They did a really good job. It is beautiful. The green wood needs seasonso I got, hence the wait to paint. Vines are lovely but a word of caution, overtime the plants – even annuals – destroy wood. Even painted wood. But the vines are lovely, no doubt. Makes for a serene recluse to enjoy summer
Lori says
I’m anxious to hear about removing your garage door bc I have one I want to remove too and I’m not so sure if I’ll put another one in it’s place. I’d love to do the sliding doors but bc of the gardens and the stuff I store inside, makes it impossible. Could I move it away from the wall a bit, yes. But I want to see other options or just keep it open bc it’s not near an eating environment.
It’s so nice to see things in place. The great thing about hiring out is the job gets done a lot quicker. My retaining wall won’t get done until the busy season is over with but I waited this long, what’s another two months when the landscapers can do it in a few hours? It was a headache for Ernie and I.
My rock finally game and I have the interior part of the floor almost edged. The sad thing is the bobcat doesn’t fit inside the door so I now have to fill a 3 gallon bucket and shuffle rocks that way bc I can’t lift a full wheelbarrow. So my garage floor will get done one small bucket at a time. I’m glad I find this funny. It makes me laugh. Today, I’m also going to start conditioning my hay bales so I can hopefully plant tomatoes and cucumbers in 2 weeks.
It’s fun watching your projects get done and reading other people’s projects.
And due to a poor crop of potatoes my son tried to grow, I’m suggesting your way of growing potatoes.
Rachel Victoria says
Kevin, I enjoyed this description of the pergula process, moreso because I’m under house renovation now and am enjoying watching carpenter, painter, plumber, electrician tile and stone people, along with garden helpers at work. When my sights turn outdoors again, I’d like a pergola and new patio, too. You might enjoy a quick look at my last two or three blog posts on that…not as professional as yours but fun to do for family and friends.
TS says
Enjoy the new addition to the yard! Looks fantastic, thanks for the pics and plans to customize the pergola.
Donna says
We were looking for a way to create a sunscreen for the southern exposure side of our deck that also has an attached pergola. We strung 8 airplane hanger cables each about 14 ft tall and a foot apart from the top pergola board to another board at the base of the decking. We added a nut and bolt half way up to help the vines climb securely without slumping after a wind. The first year we planted Morning Glories, but the small green inch worms ate holes in every leaf, even after multiple sprayings of insecticidal soap. The next year I planted 5 Jackmanii clematis and and 3 Huldine clematis and we have been enjoyed year after year the lovely purple and white combination of flowers that gives us both privacy and sun protection. We had been told by a person at the local garden centre that the clematis would suffer and not grow well on the wire, but we proved them wrong! They amaze us every year with their wonderful colour and their energetic growth.
Nancy Katz says
A beautiful enhancement to your home and yard. You know of course…that the morning glories will come back for years and years and more. And they will also come up anywhere they travel to. They will be a beautiful choice. Another great choice would be a Clematis. They do have varieties that need full sun or more shade.
Kathy in Westminster, CO says
Simply beautiful. I’m planting Ruby Moon Hyacinth Bean this year up my spouting, next to my beautiful fountain. I look forward to seeing your vines and your clever ideas regarding the garage door.
Kay says
You have the pergola of my dreams. May I suggest a mandivilla vine? You can cut it back and move inside for the winter. Morning Glory vines will drop seeds and convert back to a cousin of the awful bind weed. You’ll never get rid of it!
Rae Matthews says
Have my 10 x 12′ pergola up (great job by a trades carpenter). Now I need a retractable canvas shade. Any recommendations where to order the canvase and hardware?
Troy says
What no hardy kiwi for the pergola!?! 🙂
Linda A says
So many wonderful ideas from your readers, Kevin.
Loved watching this project grow and to future posts about it.
Nancy says
Thanks for sharing all the steps involved. The crew did a beautiful job and you all will have many hours of enjoyment. Usually everyone says to wait a year to paint to ensure curing but who knows how long the wood has been processed! Paint it and enjoy.
Amy says
Looks great. I’ve been contemplating a patio and pergola for a long time off the back door. I just need to get it done.
Btw, here’s a fun thought for you that I’ve done in the past. I’ve planted Morning Glories, Four O’Clocks, and Moonflowers together. You get blue flowers in the am, pink in the afternoon, and white flowers in the evening. It confuses your guests who come to visit at different times of the day. Just a little humor!
Joan DiCoio says
Kevin, what a lovely hand-hewn pergola design! It is utter simplicity. I’ve been looking at tearing down an old covered patio addition and I’m inspired! Thank you.
Marlyn Anderson says
Please grow on one of the corners of your pergola, “Black Eyed Susan Vine”. If grown from seed you can find it in other colors besides yellow. Many years ago I grew one that had peach/coral petals with brown eyes = yummy. I live in MN and it grows gang -busters so that by late summer it’s easily totally surrounding the post and 3′ in diameter.
sue says
Looks fabulous and will look even better once it has aged and been painted and has it’s finery attached 🙂
Job well done !!
Nola Reynolds says
Love the pergola! It’s so much fun to see other’s house projects completed! Perhaps a hummingbird feeder hung from your new project?
Lucille K Luszczak says
Are you for hire?