Sprucing Things Up

(Our new pergola.)

Since we moved into our house almost nine years ago, we’ve talked about adding a pergola to our back patio, both to increase the shady space and to block the sun’s rays as it sets in the summertime.  This has turned into the summer of getting things done, and the pergola was high on our list.  We hired a local landscape design company and they installed the pergola last week.  It took less than a day to complete, and we are thrilled with the results!  It’s only the first part of several steps to spruce up our backyard, and already, it makes a huge difference.

(I moved my plant table off the patio and into the shade.)

We live on a busy street and since the boys are old enough to ride bikes now, we don’t feel comfortable letting them ride in the front yard, especially in the evenings when people are apt to drive too fast.  Our goal with our backyard project was to make better use of our L-shaped patio that wraps around the back of our house, and to increase the play area for the boys.  This week, we’ll also begin a patio extension project that includes an area of pea gravel, where a playscape will be installed eventually. We also plan to add ceiling fans and a mister system to our existing patio to help keep things relatively cool in the hotter months of the year.

(My hanging plants also help to block the afternoon sun.)

I especially love the pergola because I can hang my potted plants from it and care for them easily.  I moved my plant table off the patio and under our large tree, and this gives the boys more room to play and ride their bikes.  We can also use the space for outdoor parties as the weather cools down, and we’ve already spent several evenings outside after dinner, just relaxing and enjoying the cool breeze. The temperature is steadily rising and we had our first triple digit day this week, but once our backyard project is finished, it should be tolerable to spend the evening outdoors.

(A view from the side.)

I’m really glad we finally decided to tackle this project, and I’m excited to complete the other phases, too. I’ll be sure to share them with you once everything is finished.