Dean has designed a simple arbor to sit at the end of the patio. The height of the arbor is set to complement the roofline of the house. Then an array of perennial and annual plants will be added, a few finishing touches will be stirred into the mix -- and the patio will be ready for a party!
Dean and Mark make bevel the top of each of the 6x6 posts (figure A), then position them in the ground, using a level to make sure they're plumb on all sides. The addition of generous amounts of rock and soil will hold the posts firmly in place (figure B) and provide plenty of drainage.
After the posts are in place, the men add the crossbeams (figure C), and everyone begins laying out the plants according to Dean's design. Among the plants being added are azaleas, clematis, a dogwood tree and a variety of flowering plants. The clematis, a flowering vine, will be trained around the arbor, and once it's established, it will provide a profusion of colorful, long-lasting blooms that can be enjoyed from the patio or inside the house.Tip: When digging a hole for planting, never dig it any deeper than the pot in which the plant is growing. Place the plant in the hole and backfill until the soil is even with the root ball (figure D).
Tip: Always remove any plastic twine holding a root ball together (figure E) -- left in place, it can eventually strangle the root system and kill the plant.After all the planting has been completed, they add lots of mulch to protect the tender plants, as well as a few steppingstones to top it all off (figure F).
Total materials cost: $5,500.
Amount saved by doing it themselves: $3,000.
RESOURCES :
Black and Decker tools
Website: www.blackanddecker.com
Black & Decker, Inc. (Corporate)
Website: www.bdk.com/main_bd.htm
Crossville Ceramics Porcelain Stone/USA
Website: www.crossville-ceramics.com/
Ames True Temper Tools
Ames-True Temper
Website: www.ames-truetemper.com
Delta Tools
Deltak Power Tools
Website: www.deltamachinery.com
Weathered Mosaic interlocking stone
Versa-Lok Retaining Wall Systems
6348 Highway 36 Blvd., Suite 1
Oakdale, MN 55128
Toll-Free: 800-770-4525
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