Four years ago we built a patio and pergola in our backyard to act as the central gathering space in the garden. It’s time for an update on those projects and to share some lessons learned.
Patio and pergola freshly completed in 2008
What comes to mind first is finishing the patio in 97 degree heat. Wish I could go back in time to say “Damn girl, take it easy! Finish it over a few cool mornings and save yourself some sunburned skin.” Live and learn.
Backyard circa 2008
On the patio, we left 2″ gaps between our large pavers and planted them sparsely with carpet thyme. The hope was that the thyme would fill in all the gaps over the years to create a nice, evergreen carpet. Four years later, the carpet thyme has still not spread into all the gaps in the pavers.
Patio in 2012 with carpet thyme
Bare soil is an open invitation for weeds, making the patio a bit of a maintenance nightmare. If we stay on top of it, weeding every month, the patio stays looking nice. Lesson learned: either spend $100 bucks on enough carpet thyme starts to fill in all the gaps or just leave sand between the pavers for a clean look.
Pergola in 2012 covered with hardy kiwi vines
The pergola was planted on opposite ends with both male and female hardy kiwi vines, as they need cross pollination to produce fruit. Four years later, the deciduous kiwi vines cover the entire canopy of the pergola providing shade in the hot summer and sun in the winter.
Hardy kiwi fruits ripening
It is the perfect structure to support the vigorous vines because you can admire the plant in all seasons. The green leaves are a cooling image on hot days when you’re taking refuge under their shade. You can watch the baby kiwi fruits develop and easily harvest them. In the fall, the leaves turn a brilliant gold before falling.
Mini globe outdoor lights hanging from the pergola
Additionally, the cedar used to construct the pergola has held up beautifully over time. The naturally rot-resistant wood has faded with age giving it the appearance of always having been there. We hang our clothes line from it to dry laundry on hot days and string outdoor lights form it for garden parties.
Patio and pergola in 2012: the heart of our garden
The patio and pergola were built a few months apart, but it’s hard to imagine one without the other. Not only does it function as a comfortable place for us to relax and entertain, but it also supports vertical food production. We find ourselves out there all year round, whenever there is a break in Portland showers.
Backyard 2012
If there were a “heart” to our garden, this space is it – the perfect vantage point to admire the garden from. Where is the heart of your garden? Is there a quiet place of refuge or perhaps a larger area for dining al fresco? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!
I LOVE your patio and pergola. I dream of having something along these lines. Did you consider anything else besides kiwi for the plants that go with it?
My idea of heaven. Well done.
Abby, we loved hardy kiwi because it’s a delicious & unusual edible, provides great fall color and does well in our climate. However, we could have also chosen grapes for another edible option. If we wanted something purely ornamental, fun options could be clematis, climbing rose, climbing hydrangea, jasmine and others.
I love the pergola + hardy kiwi. I’m planning on doing a similar thing in California with Hayward kiwi and was looking for photos to show my wife first; I’m sure she’ll love it. You have a wonderful garden. I look forward to checking out more of your blog.
Happy homesteading,
Ed
Hi! I love your pergola and kiwi vine and am inspired to build my own by its awesomeness. I am puzzling over how tall to make it. What is the inside height of your pergola when you are standing under it, patio to rafter? How far down does the vine hang? The fruits?
Hi Karla, glad you like it! The pergola is about 8′ high from floor to rafters. The kiwi vines mostly lumber along the top, so they don’t hang down much. It seems to be a good height for us.
Just came across your blog looking for hardy kiwi pergolas. We are planning to do a similar thing here in Canada. If you would have to make the choice again, would you choose kiwi or grapes? Why and why not. Thank you for your time.
Hardy kiwi hands down! It fruits enough to get a good crop, but grapes will just literally dump fruit all over what is underneath. In our case, that was a patio which would have been a huge mess.
Hey Renee, it’s been a long time! I’d love to catch up one of these days. I also have a pergola question. We had an unfortunate fire at our house. The upside of it is that we are getting to rebuild with a bit of a “tabula rasa”. The backyard is pretty small and we are taking down this really terrible overhang. there was a TON of concrete back there and I want to break a bunch of it up. It is the south side too. So, it would be lovely to have some covered space over the back door, but also have some sun penetration. I’m thinking a pergola and wanted to get your thoughts on materials to potentially cover half of it (the part over the entry) and leave half open. I’m not sure the clear plastic corrugated is the best/most aesthetic of options and am curious of other ideas. Do you have any great brainstorms?!! I hope you are well – it looks like you are! Rachel
Hey Rachel! I will email you a follow-up, but the short answer is yes – there is a nice material that should give you the look you’re after. It’s a clear, thicker plastic used for greenhouses and it will lay flat, so you don’t need the wonky corrugated stuff.