Pergola (is that what this thing is?)

Several years ago, we decided to link a couple of gardens with a wooden structure on which stuff could grow. These are called Pergola's. We built this one in 2006. Since then, we have spent lots of time getting it ready to grow things to cover its top. This is its story.

In its completed form in April 2008. Note the boulder wall and boulder floor of the Pergola. This is where all the extra river boulder that was bait-and-switched by the evil Village Garden Center, Fishersville, VA.

The future home of the Pergola in June 2002. The Pergola needs to provide some relief to the otherwise natural lay of these two gardens. By the time all is said and done, every single bit of vegatation in the round garden will be ground to bits and recast as fill for the leveled and boulder walled flank to the new Pergola.

Rare photographs of the Pergola Construction in progress. Wife of Father and Wife of Brother taking note of the pleasure of being in proximity of the monument's construction. This was April 2006.

Time Advance to May 2007. The Pergola is finished, with about half the paint sprayed landing on the structure (the rest on me, my shoes, trees, grass, and the newly painted black fence to the left). Rental Allmand 425 backhoe brought in specifically to dig the sod out from under the Pergola (who knew it couldn't be grass).

While we had the machine, we moved the giant yard tub to the plant cemetary (the place where I replant plants to have them die). I also dug up about half of the round garden.

Move forward once again to September 2007, with a failed attempt at engineering the floor (who know a Pergola needed a floor?). I was going to step it down with that wood and box in the legs for growing things. But since it was on a slope and I'm OCD, I could not get it perfect. Thankfully my wife said, "Just do it, %&$#* and do it now, you &*#$@^% OCD &$^#(#!! That helped motivate me. I used more of the river boulders which we received in exchange for being shafted by Village Garden Center, Fishersville, VA.

The EF3 back on the job site. This time a friend runs it. He is getting some good experience which will enable him to provide help me advice to work out the details of this project.

When my friends operate the machine, they need extra, qualified supervision. Most importantly, daughters. They can ask, "What the h*** is that dork of a dad doing on that stupid machine? Why can't he just get off so we can go home? I can't even get text service here. I hate this. I wonder if he'll give me some money if I nag him because he is doing something he wants and everyone knows dads can't do that when their daughters are around. Come on! I want to go home. What a dork!

Here are the boulders resting in rock dust for the floor. The little wall sprouting up is made from rocks located from around the property. I had thought I could use the river boulders but I didn't think they could hold together as round as they are.

Same state from within the circle. I just didn't have enough flat rocks to finish this. So I ripped more river boulders from the walks that were being made redundant via the new garage construction. I spread all these rocks around the base and throughout the river boulder wall.

Finished. Note the funny steps up into the circle. We also have reinstalled the yard tub. All the old growth is gone and replaced with these little bush bulbs. See the brilliant approach to the pergola leg planting areas? Instead of OCD-ly boxing them in, I just left out the rocks around them. That way, they had depth.

All done. The crawly plants are all planted around the legs. By the end of the summer of 2008, the crawly plants would grow up and over the top. Next year they are expected to cover part of the roof and provide cook shade underneath. The hardest part now is to minimize the weeds in the circle and between the rocks in the floor.

A few extra river boulders and an headless concrete statue finish the wall around the garage door walkway. What's that in the background? More rocks for walls. These are flat. They came from the stone contractor. Unlike Village Garden Center (Fishersville, VA), the pallets of stone delivered are the exact same ones we ordered when we were at the store. These stones will go to the front courtyard wall.

Finished and spending the summer complete. Finally. It sure is good to have the right machines and instructions.

Dig?