For a start, is that harsh gravel mix. Should be lawn or lawn with native plants. Install exterior shutters or retractable blind on window. The patio looks deep enough to not let sun into that part of home, but if not then install retractable blinds, or a slat screen and grow a drought tolerant plant on the slats. If you are laying lawn, perfect, but otherwise you need to either get rid of, or reduce that ground gravel.

Ideas for your patio.

You need to stop the sun from hitting the windows in the first place. So exterior planting for shade, or exterior blinds as above. There are some faster growing tall plants available which you could plant around the perimeter of yard and will cool down the yard.

Drought tolerant gardens which incorporate gravel.

Thanks for your comments. Yes it is a Pea gravel. Currently other works ongoing is levelling and eventually getting going around 50m3 of grass. Around the grassed area is constructed garden beds which currently are being tweaked in which will eventually absolutely have just drought tolerant natives and the bushier the better!

Did not want anymore grass then that for maintenance reasons. Very narrow and long block.

The big window currently has some pretty great indoor blinds which blocks out most of the harshness unless during heat waves then it does get quite intense.

It is more so the angle of the sun that bares down and cuts right into the Pergola from around 12pm until sun down that is quite intense. Really does just make being outside unenjoyable.

House has only been established for around 1.5 years so the landscaping etc is still all very much a work in progress.

Thanks for your comments. Yes it is a Pea gravel. Currently other works ongoing is levelling and eventually getting going around 50m3 of grass. Around the grassed area is constructed garden beds which currently are being tweaked in which will eventually absolutely have just drought tolerant natives and the bushier the better!

Did not want anymore grass then that for maintenance reasons. Very narrow and long block.

The big window currently has some pretty great indoor blinds which blocks out most of the harshness unless during heat waves then it does get quite intense.

It is more so the angle of the sun that bares down and cuts right into the Pergola from around 12pm until sun down that is quite intense. Really does just make being outside unenjoyable.

House has only been established for around 1.5 years so the landscaping etc is still all very much a work in progress.

Thanks for your comments. Yes it is a Pea gravel. Currently other works ongoing is levelling and eventually getting going around 50m3 of grass. Around the grassed area is constructed garden beds which currently are being tweaked in which will eventually absolutely have just drought tolerant natives and the bushier the better!

Did not want anymore grass then that for maintenance reasons. Very narrow and long block.

The big window currently has some pretty great indoor blinds which blocks out most of the harshness unless during heat waves then it does get quite intense.

It is more so the angle of the sun that bares down and cuts right into the Pergola from around 12pm until sun down that is quite intense. Really does just make being outside unenjoyable.

House has only been established for around 1.5 years so the landscaping etc is still all very much a work in progress.

Sounds like you have a good plan, but the harshness of the pea gravel will add to the heat generated. I would strongly recommend you install an exterior blind on window promptly and create a screen to protect the inside at patio area. This doesn’t need to be anything permanent at this stage, but something temporary is definitely required until the other parts of garden are done, you can then see what would suit your garden. You can put up garden shade cloth for your plants with simple stakes.

Agree with dreamer, keeping the heat off the windows with blinds will definitely keep the house cooler, screens or a shade sail can be a temporary solution, even hooking up roll down bamboo blinds on your pergola would cut down the heat, gravel gardens are now being added as lawn is so hard to keep looking good especially during a hot summer, planting shade trees, using raised garden beds is beneficial and can look great with the gravel, but getting the shade from trees where you can sit under on a hot day is lovely.

Maybe it’s a west coast, east coast thing, but I have always known a Pergola to be a timber structure with clear sheets for roof or has no roof and all, and a Patio to be a steel structure. That is why I’m calling your additional structure a patio….. just saying.

You need to plant some shade trees asap. While they are growing get some large pots with screening plants and temp screening. We attached shade cloth to our west facing verandah side cheap quick fix. DIY. After 10 years we had builder replace it in an upgrade and he added timber battens along the edges to hide the edges of the shade cloth

The dark pea gravel will be absorbing lots of heat. Can you incorporate some lighter material into it. I notice that all the examples posted are of lighter coloured material. I’ve lived with gravel in the outback but we’ve always gone light.