Last week we told you about how we were prepping for our tropical oasis in our backyard and now we have the reveal!
We've been working on this project in phases over the last three months or so and have finally finished. Now we can relax in style!
We started this project by building a hammock pergola stand. This was the biggest deal, but is super easy to actually do.
Then, we built a side table using a log and an extra piece of counter top from our kitchen.
Finally, we transplanted some grass that had grown in and planted some tropical plants. All that prep led to the final steps.
In order to really section this area off from the rest of the yard, we laid down strips of our excess counter top.
The counter top installer asked me, "why do you want all these pieces?
What are you going to do with them?" At the time, I had no idea, but now we've used one piece for the table and all the long strips for this border.
Plus, we still have a HUGE ovular piece that we do have plans for in the future. Anywho, here's the border.
Next, we spread newspaper down in the whole area.
This is a free way to block weeds from growing without having to buy a weed barrier.
Finally, we spread pebbles. We ended up using 39 bags of pea gravel to make it about 1-2 inches deep.
The bags are normally $3.78 apiece, but we got 21 of them when they were on sale for $2, 15 for full price and three for 50% off because they were ripped, for a grand total of $102.
Considering everything else was free, this wasn't bad.
The last step was that we went around and caulked the seams where the border pieces came together to try to keep them from moving.
We love this tropical oasis in our backyard now and love spending time in the hammock feeling like we're on an island... well, other than James Island.
Hey there, I'm Sean, the woodworking enthusiast and builder behind CharlestonCrafted.com! Since 2012, I've been sharing the magic of turning raw materials into beautiful creations. I love teaching others the art and satisfaction of woodworking and DIY. I try to inspire fellow crafters to make something extraordinary out of nothing at all.
Meg Taylor says
What a PERFECT spot and water view. The pergola is fantastic, and I would loooove to add a hammock to our yard. Pinning this right now!!
Meg, Borrowed Heaven
Sean says
Thanks Meg! We love it. It's so great relaxing after a hard day's work!
Cherryl Ehlenburg says
I love the idea of reusing the pieces of countertop! The whole area looks very inviting!
Morgan says
Thanks so much! I am all about limiting as much waste as possible, especially when it is pretty.
English k Drews says
Really cute oasis! Ya'll did a great job on this project!!
Susan says
I bet you spend every minute you can in your oasis. I know I would. And you're so smart to add the little table! Congrats, you're featured this week at the This Is How We Roll LInk Party.
Milena | Craft Beering says
Looks beautiful! I'm very impressed by the pergola stand for the hammock too. If this mini oasis was in my backyard, I'd probably spend all my time in the hammock trying not to spill my summer drinks all over myself:)
Sean says
We do too... 😉
Jamie says
That turned out amazing! What a great way to relax and enjoy the beautiful yard. 🙂
Sean says
I can't tell if I'm relaxing when I'm passed out 🙂
Liz says
I am currently in the process of using your amazing plans to build this hammock stand, thank you!! I have what may be a silly question - with the posts being cemented into the ground, did you just plant your trailing vines (what did you use?) as close to the posts as possible?
Thank you!!
Morgan says
Hey liz! Yes, we didn't have like a wide amount of concrete around the posts. It's pretty minimal. We planted the climbing plant just past that. Our plant is wisteria and in retrospect I would NOT plant wisteria here because it tries to get into the oak limb above it. It grows wild and crazy in the summer!