A Pergola, a MAN and a lady with a spade

         When it comes to indulging my garden whims, the Lord of the Manor is my hero. When our old trellis crumbled and  toppled under the weight of this outrageous wisteria, said wisteria lay on the ground for months, spreading it's tentacles further and further throughout the side yard. I hesitated asking my dear James to "fix it", as he had just spent weeks on a bathroom renovation. But one day, out of the blue, he stated it was time to "get that blasted thing (aforementioned wisteria)  off the ground!" and he sketched out his own design for a wonderful new pergola. The result couldn't have been better if  a pro had come up with the plan. I just love that man!

 

 First, he sunk 8ft poles, 8/10"diameter into the ground, 6 of them, spanning 21 feet across. May I emphasize that James is not a professional carpenter, by any means, just a determined and clever DIYer.

  After the  poles were "buried" James used  4 more 8 to 10" diameter poles as cross beams going head-on. These were notched with the chain saw to lay flat upon the vertical poles. Smaller poles were then used to stabilize and connect the entire structure.

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 It took quite a bit of adjusting to level this roof.. I had my doubts. It looked a bit higgeldy- piggeldy to me. But I just held onto the securing ropes according to his direction.

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  He assured me that there was a method to this madness....

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And he was right.. the peaked roof turned out perfectly. 

This is such an amazingly sturdy structure, gorillas could dance on it!

 It will be standing for many  a long year.

 

What a wonderful man!

Love you Honey!!

  Cost of this project: Approx. $350 to $400.
 Time to complete. Approx. 4-5 days

Now it was my turn..
 First I pruned the wisteria down by at least 2/3rds and attached the remaining branches and  wisps to the pergola. Beneath the peaked roof I continued a brick walkway using old brick, flat found stones and bits and pieces of this and that. Because our house is 120 yrs old, we try to create a compatible aged look in the landscaping, I call it Hopalonghollowscaping. I prefer imperfection to a "professional" landscape look.

  The walkway leads to a small patio in the back "yard".

I planted Phlox, Delphiniums, larkspur, veronica, penstemon ,and day-lilies along the walk. I will plant baby tears thyme in between the stones and bricks.
 
 Beneath the left side of structure is a trouble area which fills with water every rain and flows into the creek in the front yard. We are turning it into a dry creek, ( a project for another day)
 I am scouring the rose catalogs to find the most fragrant and promiscuous climbing roses for this structure. Ladies, what roses do you recommend? Rainy and Penny, you would know!


On the right side is a lovely shady area neath the pergola. I planted mosses  and shade plants at the base of each post and lay pine needles on the ground for a soft cushion.

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Marjorie Fish, the English Cottage garden writer, said that a garden should be  "

A sequence of continual delights!"

  Create little interesting vignettes, here and there in your  garden area, surprise the viewer.

 Beneath the Pergola, I planted a moss garden,

 

 and I planted some chairs...
on which  to sit...
 and contemplate on how fortunate I am to have such a lovely place...

 to sit and contemplate.

 This is so peaceful here,  in the cool morning shade, but we need some cushions.

On the "back side" of the pergola is an old cracked concrete patio.

This patio was a catch all for 3 dead lawnmowers and pallets and trash cans, NO MORE!!!

We hauled off the debris and then I went crazy potting plants. It's amazing how one project just leads to another, and then another.

 I used to loathe this "patio" and longed for the day when I could pull it out and replace it with cobblestone or brick. But, you know, it has sorta grown on me.

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   Someone built this patio in 1968 and signed it with pride.

 It is close to being an antique, well okay, maybe more of a "collectable".  I am really glad that I never removed it. Now, I like it's  funky old cracks and crevices (which I am filling  with soil and  ground-covers)

 I like it's uneven surface and rusticity. It is actually charming.

 If you have to work with something that is less than perfect, make it work!  You can do wonders with a bit of imagination, a few plants and props.

SEE? Anything can be fixed

 Funny old patio.

I LIKE you now!

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  So there is the new pergola, and a new garden area and a new use for an OLD, cracked and decrepit patio.

  I hope you have a clever and handy person in your life, who isn't afraid of hard work and will build you a wonderful trellis, arbor, pergola or any old thing you want. Maybe you even have the skills to do it yourself, use your imagination!.

This lovely lady has been visiting this side yard every day this week. I hope she hasn't got designs on all those potted succulents!

 

And  Remember our 3 little orphans? Look at them now!

 

 Halfway grown up!

They are a wild trio.

  Just one more thing, ( for you, Mary)
I finished this illustration last week.

   Have a wonderful week, and do something nice for yourself in the garden.
 Jeri