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Friday 2 April 2021

The Pergola Rebuild

Hello my lovelies!

It’s gardening time in the northern hemisphere. 
I have plenty to do outside that I can do myself but I needed to get a man in to deal with what had become a very big thanks eyesore out there.  
A broken pergola that was barely fit for purpose. 

Let’s talk about why I need a pergola. 

I inherited a very old grape vine when I bought this cottage. 

Read about about my grape growing in  Chateau Pout by following this link


The grape vine needed support as it grew and spread. 

So The Photographer built a climbing structure with what wood he could find and he could work with (he’s not a carpenter).  


And it looked like this. 



It was strong enough to bear the weight of the annual Chateau Pout crop. 



It supported the ever-growing wisteria. 


The wisteria branches were spreading up to 50ft, in all directions.  


And it also supported a quite healthy clematis.


So it was a pretty hard-worked structure and perhaps not man enough for all the foliage and fruit that became more abundant at the end of each high summer season. 



In fact it probably looked like this when disaster at the end of a summer’s worth of leafy growth.  
Absolutely laden. 

Then this happened. 


 Follow this link Pergola Disaster, to discover what happened in more detail.  If you’re a regular reader you may remember the story. 


But the short story is that most of the pergola ended up in a collapsed messy pile. 


TP did an emergency rescue attempt by propping up
what structure remained. 

And I was left with half a flimsy pergola holding up
the vines as best it could.  

Finally, this week it became this.


A small pile of old timber. 

This was its final resting place.
It doesn’t look much of a pile eh?

Yet it managed to hold up the grape vine and wisteria whilst we dealt with the delays of lockdown and the ensuing difficulties in engaging landscaping trades people as a result of their busy workloads between lockdowns.  One firm said they’d do it “sometime” - and sometime never came.

Finally I came up with the idea of getting a carpenter who’d done some work on the house previously. 
I phoned him, he could do the job, and he came round promptly and measured up.  
And when we came out of lockdown and he could get hold of the required timber he turned up to start the job. 


And in one day this sturdy monster was erected. 


I now need to put my touch on the area.  I will probably paint the structure black to make the pergola less obtrusive. 
 I have to address the aging decking. 
I have to deal with the worn fence at the back. 
I have to replant the area. 
It’s fair to say I’m going to busy. 
And I will report back in when I've put a big fat tick ✅ against all of those tasks.


Have you any big projects to tackle in your garden?



Hugs, Mary x. 







10 comments:

  1. The new pergola looks amazing! I am envious of your wisteria; I suffer from wisteria envy a lot.

    You are certainly going to be busy over the next few months but you will make it looks fabulous, I'm sure.

    Happy Easter
    xxx

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    1. Like you I did lust after wisteria for many years. This is my first so when the pergola fell I feared I might lose it and my beloved grape vine. I think wisteria might work in a big pot Vronni and you have much success with them. Good luck and Happy Easter.
      Hugs x.

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  2. Your old pergola at its peak looked like a bit of heaven. Sad to see it go, but your new pergola looks sturdy and ready to serve. I had a pergola built in my front patio and decided to stain it vs. paint it. What will you plant? Did any plants survive? I love to choose new plants. My autumn clematis "Apple Blossom" keeps its leaves all year and has sweet scented white flowers.

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    1. I loved my old pergola too Terra. Sounds like you no longer have your pergola? Well both wisteria and grape vine survived the fall but my clematis didn’t so we want to replant clematis. I’ll look out for your Apple Blossom because all year leafage sounds amazing. Thanks for the tip.
      Hugs and Happy Easter.

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  3. Congratulations on getting your new pergola. Calling for outside help is sometimes required, isn't it. I've done, at times, over proclamations, "I can do it." I usually, say,"yes, dear, of course you can, but I want it before I turn 80."
    As far, as garden, as soon as I have a good warm day, I need to get out and start clearing my front flower garden because I was to lazy this winter to do it. Yes, the work begins.
    Looks like you gave everything a good chop. Bet it all come roaring back.

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    1. Haha Terri, yes sometimes we can’t wait that long eh!! Sounds like you’re going to busy in your garden, I admit I’m not a winter gardener in any shape or form! Yes I gave the vine and the wisteria a good chop back so that the guy could have room to build.
      Hugs and Happy Easter x.

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  4. Oh how lovely your garden looks Mary, I want some wisteria for my garden, but no pergola in my garden. Thanks for sharing with us. Jacqui x

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    1. Thanks Jacqui. Well I think wisteria would grow against a wall, it grows up houses.
      Hugs and Happy Easter x.

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  5. Envious of your mature grapevine Mary. I'm happy to report mine has survived winter and is sprouting. Mine is a mere twig though still. My pergola is ni-on identical and I love it. I'm hoping to add a roof of clear plastic to it though. We are going to be busy bee's! xx

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    1. I’m so pleased your new vine has survived the winter Laurie. They are actually quite hardy plants. It will be great to pics of it on insta soon!
      Hugs, x.

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