Taking It Outside

By Kyle Desmarais, Duxbury Gardeners

Duxbury Gardeners constructed this 18 x 14-foot pergola with pressure-treated timber that was then painted white. The pergola posts were placed on 3-foot columns for support; the base of the wall and columns were set on a crushed stone concrete base, and then the contractor capped the columns with rock-faced bluestone.

Located in Duxbury, Massachusetts, this backyard makeover took a boring space and turned it into stunning outdoor living area, complete with a kitchen, fire pit, waterfall and pergola. The project was designed and constructed by Duxbury Gardeners.

According to Duxbury's Kyle Desmarais. ''The idea was to install a patio in the backyard to help host some of the homeowner's guests.'' Desmarais met with the homeowners and learned the true scope of the homeowners' desires.

Duxbury designer Jason Pontbriant hand-drew the proposal illustrations for the homeowner's planned backyard oasis.

The entire project took three weeks to complete, and employed nine full-time workers. The trades involved included: Site excavation experts, horticulturalists, masons, plumbers, carpenters, irrigation specialists, lighting experts, and electricians. The trades used a wide range of equipment to complete the job, including: A Cat skid steer, mini excavator, tamper, vibratory plow, and a mini skid steer.

The project started with the contractor stripping and removing grass and debris in the work areas. They had to remove the top course of a fieldstone wall, and then prepare a retaining wall base with compacted crushed stone. They poured concrete pads for the outdoor grill, front entry and sitting wall with columns.

The contractor removed the front brick stoop and side wooden stoop, after which they coordinated the front granite stoop installation and connected downspouts to underground piping system to drywells. They also had to demolish and dispose of the back deck.

In the backyard patio area, Duxbury laid down 1,200 square feet of Unilock Brussels Block Nevada-color pavers; they also used a similarly colored paver border. The flatwork was set on compacted stone dust and packing gravel.

Building the Seat Walls

The backyard seat wall design called for a 44-foot long by 2-foot high double-faced fieldstone wall placed to frame the outdoor dining area. In the front yard, the contractor installed a 20-foot by 2-foot high double-faced fieldstone wall. The wall was set on compacted crushed stone, and the columns were set on a concrete base.

Front And Side Yard

In the front yard, the contractor installed 350 square feet of Unilock Brussels Block pavers. They pulled the walkway away from the garage to create an entry court that draws attention to the front entry. A 10-foot circle kit was placed inside the stonework by the front door.

In the side yards, the contractor laid down five 24-inch bluestone steppers. Like the other walkways and patios, the flatwork was set on compacted stone dust and packing gravel. Duxbury installed an 8 x 3-foot granite front stoop with an 8-foot granite step, which was set atop a 10-inch concrete pad. The landing was set on granite cheeks.

In the backyard patio area, Duxbury laid down 1,200 square feet of Unilock Brussels Block Nevada-color pavers; they also used a similarly colored paver border. The flatwork was set on compacted stone dust and packing gravel.

On the side entry, the contractor replaced the existing side step with a 4 x 10-foot landing. The step area received 12 feet of stone riser and a granite border lines the landing. The landing was filled with mortar, packing gravel and stone dust.

They also installed 20 yards of 2-3-inch pine bark mulch in the front-yard planting bed. The contractor repaired all lawn areas with fresh-screened loam, and added machine-grade, hand-grade, hand-seed and hydro-seeded product to all the lawn areas.

Fire Pit

The contractor sunk the fire pit foundation 1-foot below grade, and then installed a 6-foot diameter fire pit made of boulders and various-sized stones, creating a natural looking space that blends in with the waterfall area. They then placed two seat rocks around the Unilock fire pit with matching flat work.

Duxbury began stripping and removing debris, prepped the area for proper drainage, after which, they amended the planting beds with loam and compost. They transplanted usable plants to various areas throughout the project.

Waterfall

Duxbury installed a self-circulating waterfall, which features a 12-inch fall and a secondary ''river-inch'' fall. The waterfalls are run by a 1-horsepower pump, which was wired to a dedicated outdoor GFI outlet by an electrician.

Night Lighting

To enhance the area's nighttime use, Duxbury installed 13 low-voltage up-lights in various locations around the yard positioned to highlight specimen trees and the pergola. They also installed 15 wall lights at various locations in the masonry work to highlight the patio area as well. 13 path-lights were installed and wired to accent the walkway and patio areas. To finalize the lighting design, twin underwater lights were installed in the waterfalls.