Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Garden Pergola Swing...the perfect gift!

When my husband asked me what I wanted this year for my birthday, I gave it some serious thought.  Past gifts have included whiskey barrels and flowers, dilapidated chairs, antique wooden bunnies..... many of these gifts will live forever in the realm of family lore...let's just say hubby has a "knack" for gift giving. 

But I digress....what did I want this year?  Some girls wants diamonds, furs, expensive cars...me, I want the smell of fresh lumber and topsoil.

We had a swing at our old house and I've always missed it, so when I mentioned that to hubby, he pounced on it and said, "I'll build you one!"

....and that's how the perfect birthday gift came to be.


This area of the yard used to have a wooden bench, but it had gotten rickety and we were trying to figure out what to do to jazz up the area.  It meant moving my beloved baby lemon tree (you can see it in the far left of the photo) and I was nervous about that, but it seems to be doing just fine in it's new home. 

We looked at pictures on the www and hubby came up with a plan and got started...no kits for him! We did order the cypress swing, but he did everything else. 

Did I mention that I have quite possibly the handiest husband in the world?

To get started...he cemented the poles in the ground....


and started building the fun stuff.




Tons of measuring, figuring out angles, cutting notches, curves, trim....countless trips to Lowe's and Home Depot....


...and voila!!!  Isn't it just perfect? 




He even built a little lattice screen to go behind the swing and hide the A/C units.  We planted Confederate Jasmine to grow up the pergola and the A/C screen, and I can't wait for that, and the rest of the landscape, to take off.  

We just finished it Sunday night and you can guess where I've spent most of my evenings since then. 

Just a swinging......



Hands down...one of the best gifts ever.  Did I mention that I have a great husband?  Thanks so much....smooches!!!

17 comments:

  1. WOW!!!!That is amazing!!! I do agree that it's a perfect gift....way to go!!! I bet he got some major brownie points for that one!!

    Suzanne

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  2. That's my kind of gift. If hubby buys me flowers, he knows they must come from the garden center.

    You know what song popped in my head while reading your post..."Just a Swingin" :)

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  3. Once again, your husband did a wonderful job and it came out perfect. Please update as the Confederate Jasmine grows up and over. I know it will be awhile but I can't wait to see it!

    PERFECT Birthday present. Great request!

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  4. LOL...I guess you should keep him!!!! I love it!!!

    BTW,so sorry I have been by in a while (I am really behind on blog reading) but I am excited to see what I Have to catch up with here! Hope you had a terrific Mother's Day!

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  5. do you happen to have plans for this? I've been looking at getting my hubby to build one of these and this one is perfect

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the kind words. Sorry, I don't have plans. Hubby and I just kind of designed it as we went. We're happy to answer any questions though. Good luck.

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  6. Shannon, I couldn't figure out how to send a direct message, but could you please ask your husband a couple of quick questions about the beautiful pergola he built for you? Or could you have home email me directly at plewis@palmvalley.org? Here are some key questions: Size & length of posts (& how deep he set them into the concrete). Distance between posts (both directions). Height from ground to under the cross rails. Thank you so much! Everything else i think I can figure out.
    Thanks,
    Paul

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    Replies
    1. I would love to know this as well as I am trying to talk my husband into building me something like this for Mother's Day. Thanks in advance!

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    2. I'm so glad y'all love my pergola swing as much as I do! Here's the scoop: poles are 6x6 pressure treated, 10 foot length. They're set in concrete 18 inches deep. See photo above that shows support poles holding them in place while concrete is being poured. Posts are 9 feet apart (width), outside measurement and 32 inches (deep), outside measurement. Height from ground to header board is 7 foot, 6 inches. After concrete is set, the main header board should be cut as a pair on a saw horse instead of trying to install it and cut it from a ladder. These measurements are based on a 5 foot cypress swing. You may have to adjust your measurements to accommodate a smaller or larger swing.

      My swing is now completely covered with a Confederate Jasmine vine. It looks and smells terrific!

      Hope this info helps y'all. If you need any further info, just ask.

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    3. It is beautiful! Can you give me some info about the top of the pergola?
      Dimensions, space, and what kind of caps are those on the bottom of the posts and the top?

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  7. Where are the plans and dimensions. What wood is required. I like this.

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  8. Sorry to ask for the plans, I read your reply to Cheryl Brown. That will do for me too.
    Thank you and I'm sorry to bother you. I am from England and now live in Cyprus, I like your Abor and it will look nice for my wife Sylvia.

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  9. This is beautiful! I read what you posted above but I still have a few questions. What hardware did you use to put this together? Screws/bolts? How is the swing attached? Could you please update with a picture of your jasmine vine? Thanks!

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  10. These are really needed in Arizona where the sun is intense. We see them all the time while performing the best tree service Mesa AZ
    has to offer.

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  11. I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post. modern pergola

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  12. Two suggestions... One that in most cases depending on your soil, 18 inches deep is not nearly deep enough for a 6x6 post and normally the notches are cut out of the boards on top rather than the crossbeams. If you live where it rains a lot or snows, the "U" shaped notches in the crossbeams are a point that moisture will collect and lead to rot or bug damage before the other pieces....this is years down the line but would extend the overall life. There is also a membrane wrap that can be applied to the posts at the point of ground contact.

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