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DIY Design Dilemma Gardens

Patio advice please

5 years ago

We’re moving on with our garden project & have cleared the lower part of our garden for some hard landscaping. Original idea was for gravel (cream / gold colour) but now wondering if it will be too much gravel & whether we should add some form of patio? Although with furniture, raised beds, pots, etc I think it will break up the space enough.
Also thinking a patio would be better for table & chairs than moving about on gravel. But having read the various Houzz stories on patios, I’m beginning to panic. Sandstone would have been my choice but now wondering if limestone would be better? Also undecided on shape - square, rectangular, circle?
Any opinions would be appreciated please - especially if you’ve gone for particular patio type & wished you hadn’t! Thanks.

Featured Answer

Sonia

5 years ago

What a fabulous area, I’m jealous! There are lots of Advice discussions on house regarding paving if you have a look. I think gravel is better for paths rather than a patio as it can be uncomfortable to walk on and the table and chairs will wobble!

Do you want a rustic country style garden or modern and sleek? My garden is traditional and I’ve gone for riven sandstone and I love it. It went a bit green over the winter but the hot sunshine we are having has bleached it out. If you want a modern look then sawn sandstone is nice in a pale grey. I’ve also heard outdoor porcelain is good and non slip too for that very modern LA look! This is my paving last year.

Comments (25)

rachelmidlands
5 years ago
Ooh, it’s looking great:) I remember your post from before and think I suggested gravel but that was only if you were keeping the greenhouse as it took up a bulk of the space and surrounding it with gravel would give a country veg garden style. Since the greenhouse is gone it’s created a nice open area, ideal for patio furniture and pots:) I’d go for paving slabs for the practical reasons you mentioned. As to what type I couldn’t say. We have natural riven sandstone that was here when we moved in and is very practical and weathers nicely, ours needs the joints re doing tho. A neighbour nearby has done the front drive with a giant star pattern surrounded by cobbles which is bonkers but it looks fantastic. I’m sure you’ll get more advice regarding patios but whatever you choose I’m sure it’ll look great. Looking forward to more updates:)
LTS
5 years ago
Hi tampa75
Our patio starts on Monday &, like you, we couldn’t decide which paving to use & read various pros/cons on the different options. We’ve plummeted for Sandstone. Fingers crossed! Still haven’t decided on the final plan yet but will do that tomorrow when back home from our holiday. Good luck!
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tamp75
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks rachelmidlands - I was very inspired by your design! Reassured to hear your sandstone is ok. Can’t afford to patio the whole area so will have to have some gravel. Decided to remove the greenhouse completely as it was underused and in the corner that gets the evening sun - perfect area for dining! Just need to decide on style / shape for the patio.
tamp75
Original Author
5 years ago
@forzaitalia - your patio looks fab! Can I ask what colour sandstone you went for please?
Generally I would go for a modern style - our house & front garden is but looking to do more of a cottage garden style at the back to suit what is already there - some established trees / shrubs and old stone hedging which forms one boundary. So creams / buffs are what we’re looking for as I don’t think grey will work so well with cottage garden style.
Our lawn will be circular so don’t know whether to repeat this in the patio or whether that will be overdone on the circle theme!
The new fence going up is our neighbours so not our choice but well timed & better than what was there before!
LTS - would love to see a photo pls when yours is done! Thanks.
Sonia
5 years ago
It was called Raj blend or something like that! Well it had the word Raj in it. It is quite colourful so not to everyone’s taste, but it has toned down a bit, and we love it. Natural stone can sometimes be difficult to choose as the colours do vary slightly with each batch. I suggest you see the product before buying as those catalogues are not always realistic, possibly photoshopped! Good luck with whatever you choose.
Mike
5 years ago
Blue Lias looks super. After rain, the colours come out. From Somerset I believe. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Lias
Chris Goodchild
5 years ago
My preference is sandstone, real limestone is basically chalk, it can be quite porous and offers a good home for algae and moss, in addition, it can be affected by acid rain.

York stone is a type of sandstone, there are places where it has been down for centuries and merely looks better for it.

Gravel I find a pain to keep clean if there is a lot of leaf detritus although you can use a leaf vac/blower.

Where you do have gravel don't forget to use anti weed mat to keep the weeds down.
Nieko Syxx
5 years ago
Thanks again all!

I am approaching the weed containment system... I have a garage full of cardboard from moving a while ago - I have also seen that Home Bargains do pretty cheap membrane type rolls of the stuff - I believe I have heard it called various things - weed fabric?

I’ll be tilling the soil over the next few days so would people suggest that I went for the cardboard approach? I’m not averse to spending money on the membrane but if folks believe I will get a better result - i.e. a weed free(ish) garden using cardboard I would love to hear...

T

Aksx
Sonia
5 years ago
I do remember Charlie Dimmock not rating weed suppressant fabric very much. She said it always seems to work it’s way up and through the gravel making it an eyesore. She also said many weeds, like dandelions, spread by their seeds flying through the air and landing on gravel and growing there, so the fabric has no effect. I used it on my front garden and she’s right! However, I do find it is very easy to remove weeds in gravel by just tugging them out by hand. I’ve never used cardboard so I can’t comment.
tamp75
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks Mike and Chris. Hadn’t heard of blue lias before but think we’ve made the decision to go down the sandstone route.
One decision made! Now need to decide on whether to go for a rectangular or circular patio and which type of sandstone...
Sonia
5 years ago
tamp75 hope you don’t mind me commenting so late, but the name of the paving I gave you was incorrect. I found the paperwork the other day and it’s from The Natural Paving Company and it’s called Lakeland, not Raj! Sorry about the error.
E D
5 years ago
Reading through this again makes me curious about possible developments @tamp75.

Forza, hehe where did Raj come from? :)

I'm still baffled by Nieko's reply... and not for the first time... :)
Nieko Syxx
5 years ago
Which reply E D?
Sonia
5 years ago
E D there is a sandstone colour called Raj Green. Not quite as random as you think. We looked at so much paving before ordering that I got In such a muddle as to which one I actually had haha!
E D
5 years ago
yep, understandable forza! :)
E D
5 years ago
I can see only one, Nieko.
Nieko Syxx
5 years ago
I see E D - all seems pretty straightforward to me.

I must say, I’m leaning back towards the fabric method, it just seems so much neater.

Going to be starting this phase in about two weeks time.

I see pictures of spirit levels when people are doing their gardens, I’m assuming the garden needs to be that flat but it seems a bit OTT. Is the use of spirit levels at this stage the norm?
tamp75
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks Forzaitalia, I haven’t come across that company before so will look that up. Still to buy main patio. Want a large circle, preferably sandstone but difficult to find in the larger sizes.
tamp75
Original Author
5 years ago
Hi ED, still working on it! Have developed this little seating area which gets the sun from 6.30 ish so perfect for breakfast & morning coffee! This is where we had the playhouse before. Obviously need to plant up the area around it.
We’ve just had a large tree taken down. Don’t like to take trees down but it was a pine & blocked so much light so nothing would grow beneath it. Also have been building a stone wall to face our lower patio area & we have steps to our patio door. Next big job is the patio when I can find one I like!
Nieko Syxx
5 years ago
That’s a stunning little suntrap you got there :)
tamp75
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you. Still needs some work but it’s a great spot, sunny in the mornings & a shaded area for the hot afternoons.
Nieko Syxx
5 years ago
I have a similar area tho I get the sun all day! Now all the trips are over I really need to get on with it!
Nieko Syxx
5 years ago
I think that was taken about 6:30on a May evening - all day sun - I am looking at building a structure to provide shade and a trellis space for growing
HU-505288300
5 years ago
You have a beautiful space being prepared for your patio. Hard landscaping is a better option compared to your original idea of placing gravel. If you wish to stick to golden or cream colour tone patio, then check out Indian sandstone paving slabs and go for Teak Sandstone Slabs or Rainbow Sandstone Slabs. With that, maybe consider contrasting colour cobble stone edging to really separate the areas of your garden space. Please take a look at the example of what it would look like:

I hope you like this idea, What do you think?

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