Use Pergola For Leisure As Well As Gardening

A backyard pergola like this one is good for more than just housing equipment for outdoor chores. It can serve many purposes once the chores are finished.

Most importantly for greenthumbers, of course, is that a pergola neatly stores gardening tools, plant food, fertilizer and other equipment for the yard. But it’s also a convenient and good-looking place for leisure-time activities. It offers a shady area with bench seating for barbecues and outdoor parties. It’s a handy spot for working on messy hobbies or do-it-yourself projects.

It can even handle some of the overflow from the garage.

For do-it-yourselfers, this pergola project is easy if taken a step at a time. First, pour the concrete footings and set the steel U-supports.

Then build the frame with standard 2-by-4s and 2-by-8s. Use exterior-grade fir plywood to construct the interior cabinets, shelves, doors and roof. Then finish the structure with a good paint job.

The completed pergola measures about 22 feet long by 12 feet wide. It’s a little more than 9 feet tall at the peak of the roof.

The Functional Pergola plan, No. 382, is $6.50 and includes complete step-by-step directions with photos, exploded diagrams, a shopping list and building and finishing tips.

A package of eight projects for the yard, No. C23, is $12.50 and contains this pergola plan along with plans for a wishing well, birdhouses, chaise lounges and more.

In addition, a catalog picturing hundreds of other do-it-yourself projects, many for the yard and garden, is available for $3.95. Prices include sales tax, postage and handling.

MEMO: To order, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409-2383. Specify plan number and allow three to four weeks for delivery (for first-class mail, add $1 per item).