The red pergola, a signature piece in our garden that featured in countless of photos on our blog finally succumbed to old age and decay last year. It had been ailing for awhile, receiving patchwork repair as and when it was needed so it could keep its appearance but it's been needing a full on restoration for quite some time now.
And we thought it would only be a restoration job when we started to dismantle it early last year, thinking that at least the four posts would still be fine for use. No sooner though that we discovered that they were better off replaced as well, and the restoration job then become a full on replacement one.
Should we even bother putting another one when the entire thing needs replacing altogether? That question crossed our minds several times but the answer remained constant, how could we not replace a structure that had been a standout piece in our garden for years? It simply must be reinstated, or at least something very similar.
When we dismantled most of it early last year we were already gearing to repairing it during the summer months. And a lot of you know already what happened here during the summer that kept us from doing so...
It was like this for most of last year, three red wooden posts jutting out from the ground, a shadow of what was once a pergola
The weekend before last when Gaz's dad was visiting I made a casual remark if he could help us rebuild the pergola the following weekend. I wasn't actually that serious when I said that but surprisingly he said yes! With the offer of help being there it would have been unwise to delay work even further and besides the forecast for that weekend was very good and conducive to doing some construction work.So the restoration, rebuilding, or even resurrection of the red pergola has begun last weekend...
First up was to clear the area of pots that used to surround it
All pots to one side now (which I also started to tidy and weed shortly after moving them)
Time to remove all the remaining posts!
Twinkles decided to sleep on the job instead
One by one the posts went...
But they were so well anchored in that it took a lot longer than we though to remove them and prepare the area (isn't that always the case?).
With the posts removed all that was left were the two red metal posts on both sides of the entrance to the middle patio. We did contemplate on removing them too but it would have made the job a lot harder, plus we stuck by it before as part of the history and little quirks of the garden so why not stick with it again. They will blend in again once the red pergola has been finished off. Or we may even do something creative with them...
The two red metal posts are going nowhere
An ancient Japanese art of plant bondage
New posts were up by early afternoon with temporary cross beams to check the levels
With the posts up it was time to sort out the beams
Getting the gaps right and final positions marked
Getting there...
So the beams would slot in notches had to be chiseled
And by Sunday evening, the pergola looked like this...
The side trellis still needs doing, then it needs sanding, and then on to painting. I'm not sure anymore if the same shade of red outdoor wood paint still exists but if not I'm sure there would be something very similar available out there.
The new pergola will be wider and taller than the older one, so taller visitors won't have to duck to go through it. The Aristolochia durior that grows on it hasn't leafed out yet so hopefully we'll be able to paint the pergola before it does, otherwise the job will be more tricky (and messy).
Work will hopefully recommence this coming weekend and we'll post on the updates when it does. And who knows we may be able to show the finished product soon!
Mark :-)
