Pergola project (autumn 2010)

Final product - one of two mini pergolas to hold wisteria

I was looking to give our yard some privacy from the road and our neighbors. The tree at the corner was covered in wisteria vines. That grows so fast, it could do the trick -- but I needed a way to raise it up in the air. It gets heavy, so the solution needed to be pretty sturdy. I looked at pergolas for sale online and they were (a) several hundred dollars at least, (b) require assembly anyway, and (c) looked like they might warp over time, like others I'd seen - especially under the weight of clumps of wisteria vine. So I decided to build one myself.


At the hardware store, I looked for treated lumber (four 4x4s and five 2x4s). When I described my idea to a staff member there, I was pointed towards quick set cement, which doesn't require mixing (just fill a hole with water, and dump it in). Perfect!

Posts for the mini pergola set in cement

When I got home, I started digging. Our soil was pretty hard and a neighbor noticed my struggles. He lent a post digger. It made the job a lot easier -- I could have muscled through but it was nice to make progress so quickly with this tool. One by one I propped up a 4x4 in a hole, added some water & cement mix, and waited a few minutes until the concoction was stiff enoughfor the post to stand on its own.

Posts from another angle

I had noticed that most pergolas have a decorative edge, and there did not seem to be any particular rule. So I went with the easiest design. I pulled out my miter box and saw, and started lopping off some corners. And although I was not creating a canopy to stand under, I wanted this to at least remind people of that sort of pergola. So I flanked the 4x4 with two 2x4s and I added braces with the same sort of cut-out. These were all screwed in because I was afraid nails might eventually slide out under the weight of the wisteria.

Now I needed to urge the wisteria to grow on the structure. I climbed into a nearby tree and used all of my weight to yank some long vines out. They were thick and unruly and it was pretty fun, jumping out of a Rose of Sharon while hanging onto a vine like Tarzan. I'm sure my neighbors thought I was nuts but as a kid I spent a lot of time swinging from vines so it was a nice flashback. To keep the vines in place, I used bungee cords (I assumed no one would look too close).

Training vines along the top of the pergola

Now we have a bit more privacy from the street - with the promise of more to come. As the wisteria takes off (which it is sure to do) it should provide a lot of cover.

View from the street 

We waited the required amount of time, then had everything stained white. The wisteria did in fact take off -- so much so that the pergola is virtually unseen during the summer, under all of the foliage. But in the winter, the leaves fall off and I am glad that I took a little time to make this look like more than a utilitarian frame.

A year later, after the pergolas were stained white (along with the fence)

Time to complete: several hours a day for a weekend (plus staining, later)
Approximate cost: $50