Note: If you’re reading this during happy hour, consider making a little game of it—take a sip every time you see the word liriope. Or half a sip. No need to get carried away.
We’ve finally started working on the side patio that we mentioned a while back and want to have ready for Clara’s big birthday party in just two weeks. It feels great to move from planning to doing.
After a lot of discussion, we decided it was time to say goodbye to the long rows of liriope that were taking over the space. John, with help from two friends, dug up most of it. They used the tried-and-true method of sliding a shovel under each clump and stepping on it to pop it out. With three people working, the whole job only took about two and a half to three hours. I stayed inside with Clara for the most part, popping outside occasionally to cheer the crew on and bring cold water.
When the digging was finished we were left with a clean, bare area that will become about two-thirds of the new patio. There’s still a brick path to remove before we can start excavating and leveling the soil for the next phase, which will include tamping, gravel, and sand.
There’s something energizing about a cleared space — it’s suddenly much easier to picture the finished patio. We shared a rough sketch earlier to help visualize the layout, and we’re getting a clearer idea as the work progresses.
For materials, we plan to use cobblestone pavers similar to those in our driveway. To find the best price we compared options at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and a local supplier, Southside Building Supply. The local supplier offered the best price per square foot — about forty cents cheaper — and they could deliver in just two days. We’ll post photos and exact pricing once the pavers arrive and we begin installation, and we’ll include details about the delivery and what to expect during installation.
Here’s the practical, boring stuff we did first for anyone interested in tackling a similar patio project:
- Talked at length about dimensions and layout, even using a garden hose to mock up shapes and get a feel for the space.
- Visited several suppliers to compare paver styles and prices; we’ll share more once we actually get the stone on site.
- Contacted Miss Utility (the local utility marking service) to confirm there are no buried gas, water, or electrical lines in the area we plan to dig.
- Removed the liriope; the next steps will be removing the brick path, digging out more soil, leveling, adding gravel and sand, and then laying pavers.
- Checked our budget to ensure we could afford the project. The materials, including stone, gravel, sand, tools, and delivery, will likely be around $1,000. That’s a difference we’re excited about because the last time we had a patio installed professionally — a smaller patio near our yard — it cost nearly $3,000. By doing much of this ourselves, we hope to save a significant amount.
Miss Utility confirmed there’s nothing buried under that side of the house, which cleared the way for digging. We also think we’ve settled on a paver style and a patio shape. We’ll share more progress photos, specifics about the materials, and updates on the hard physical work as it happens — the leveling, tamping, and all the sweaty, satisfying details.
Have any of you installed your own patios — digging, leveling, tamping, and spreading gravel and sand? We’re unusually excited about this one. It’s possible we’re just in love with a new project, but we’re eager to get our hands dirty and document the process for anyone who wants to follow along.
P.S. We announced this week’s contest winners — check the original post to see if you’re one of them.
P.P.S. Yes, we said liriope a few more times. We couldn’t resist.