There was nothing in our back yard when we moved in. My wife and I built this patio along with two large arbors to add an outdoor space and we planned to plant wisteria vines to grow on the arbors and provide shade. We also added seating under the arbargeors to have a place to relax in the shade. Here is the end result.

We built the arbors first and then laid the patio. The arbor uprights are 6×6 pressure treated wood placed in 24″ deep holes which were filled with concrete. We wanted the arbors strong because Wisteria grows fast and is very heavy after a few years.

This view shows the project after one arbor is built and the second underway.

With both arbors built it was time to lay the patio stones.

We had a visit from wild turkeys each day during the project.

We built wood steps from the porch down to the patio level.

Here’s the wisteria in blossom a couple of years after building the arbors.
The project took a few weeks to complete with the two of us working part time. It was a great do-it-yourself project for my wife and I and we have enjoyed it for years after.