u/LunaStargazer215

This is not our house this is the inspiration pic for what we would like to do.

We built a gazebo / pergola on our patio this weekend but it is blocking our kitchen window & we also want to lift it to add a ceiling fan & fit a hammock chair so we want to lift it 2 feet & we saw this as inspiration.

I had a landscaper come out & he quoted us $2000 for the four pillars he said he would “make out of blocks” so I’m not sure how that will look & my husband thinks the price is too high but it will take four guys to lift the heavy ass thing on to the pillars.

My questions for you fine people of Reddit are

1. what do you think of the quote? Does $2000 feel appropriate?
2. do you have suggestions on how we could possibly DIY, we are not especially handy but are motivated & have a good support system of helpers if need be

Thank you!

I live in south east Pennsylvania by Philadelphia - zone 7

This year our smoke bush looks like half of it is dead? This bush provides a lot of privacy for our indoor porch plus it’s beautiful & I love it so I want to make sure I am handling this correctly because I’m not much a green thumb.

It’s currently the second weekend in May, I read that sometimes due to cold winters it can be a late bloomer? This part looks super dead.

Should I prune off the dead pieces and hope it grows back? Any advice or insight is appreciated.