Note: If you’re reading this during happy hour, feel free to make a game of it—take a sip each time you see the word liriope. Or a half-sip. No need to get carried away.
We’ve officially started work on the side patio (previously mentioned in earlier posts) that we want finished in time for Clara’s birthday party in just two weeks.
We decided to remove the long rows of liriope that were crowding the area. John didn’t have to dig up all of it—two friends came over, and they happily took some plants home. The three of them used the shovel-under-the-clump-and-step trick to pop out each section, and it worked really well. With three people the whole job took roughly 2.5 to 3 hours. I stayed inside with Clara for most of it, but made occasional morale-boosting appearances to hand out ice water and check progress.
Once the plants and roots were cleared we had a clean, bare patch that will become about two-thirds of the patio. We still need to remove the brick path before digging and leveling the soil for the next steps—tamping, gravel, and sand—so there’s more work ahead.
There’s something satisfying about seeing an empty canvas; it’s much easier to picture the finished patio without the dense liriope in the way.
We posted a rough photoshopped sketch earlier to give a sense of the plan…
…and for the surface we’re leaning toward cobblestone pavers that closely match the ones already in our driveway.
To get the best price we checked Home Depot, Lowe’s, and a local supplier, Southside Building Supply. The local supplier offered the best price per square foot—about $0.40 less—and could deliver in two days, so they won the business. We’ll share more photos, exact prices, and details once the pavers arrive and we start laying them.
Here’s the practical, non-glamorous sequence of steps we’ve already completed or scheduled, for anyone who wants to follow along or tackle a similar DIY project:
- Mapped possible patio dimensions and shapes, using a garden hose to visualize outlines.
- Visited local paver suppliers to compare prices and availability.
- Contacted Miss Utility to confirm there are no buried utilities in the work area so we wouldn’t accidentally hit gas, electric, or water lines.
- Removed the liriope and cleared the planting area; next steps include removing the brick path, excavating more soil, leveling, and adding base materials (gravel and sand).
- Checked the budget to make sure we can afford materials—stone, gravel, sand, tools, and delivery will likely be around $1,000. For perspective, our last professionally installed patio cost nearly $3,000 even though it was smaller, so we’re hopeful about saving money by doing much of the work ourselves.
Miss Utility confirmed there’s nothing buried beneath that side of the house, which is a relief. We also feel good about the paver choice and the general patio shape, so plans are coming together. Expect more updates, photos, and the inevitable sweating and rambling as we dig, level, tamp, and lay stone.
Have any of you installed a patio yourselves—digging, tamping, and working with gravel and sand? We’re excited for this project and would love any tips or war stories.
Psst—We announced this week’s contest winners, so check the earlier post to see if you’re one of them.
Pssst—liriope, liriope, liriope. Just kidding.