Garden paving adds style and accessibility for those with mobility issues while aiding drainage management. It also helps manage drainage. Find the best Asphalt Paving in Albuquerque.
Gravel paths look elegant but can become slippery in wet weather and chip quickly in winter, making them best used for secondary pathways and informal styles of garden design. Concrete paving options such as Bradstone Old Town provide more practicality. Their limestone effect design features clean, rectified edges.
Patios
Patios are at the core of many gardens, where garden furniture and potted plants come to life. An addition of a patio can transform your garden and turn it into an extra living space that opens out into your home.
Paving doesn’t have to be plain—add style and visual interest with a herringbone brick pattern for your outdoor space! This pattern is best suited to smaller patios, as larger areas can quickly look chaotic and lose their impact.
Mix stones of various shapes and colors to add texture and variety to your garden paving, like this mix of charcoal pavers encasing a slate-gray pattern. To keep things feeling fresh, consider including some evergreen plants such as sedums or thymes (check our best ground cover plants guide for ideas).
If your garden features multiple level changes, stepping stones can provide both an aesthetic and practical solution. Laying them out in herringbone patterns makes them easier to navigate while looking better than a straight run of paving slabs. Incorporating built-in benches around a central patio focal point further adds visual interest and practicality.
Pathways
Garden paths are invaluable features in the landscape, linking areas together and simplifying movement. Paver or flagstone pathways complement most landscape styles, while gravel, wood chip, or crushed rock paths work great with more natural-looking gardens.
Stone pathways create an elegant atmosphere in any cottage garden, and using weathered and worn bricks from online sources to add rusticity can add even more character. Reclaimed bricks provide more cost savings than new ones and provide more characterful visual appeal.
When creating a contemporary design, dark brick or concrete pavers are excellent choices for the path surface. Mixing in another material, such as grass runner or wooden boardwalk, creates an interesting textural effect, but try selecting pavers of similar shades so as to maintain an easy pathway maintenance schedule.
This California native garden features a flagstone and pebble pathway paved with blue-violet pavers lined with flexible edging material to prevent them from shifting. Their blue-violet hue complements the cool tones of Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii) and foothill penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus). To maintain an appealing gravel pathway, regularly rake it smoothly while also weeding it to remove any loose roots or debris that may occur.
Seating Areas
Seating areas can make an invaluable contribution to any garden. From cozy spots by the fireplace to dining spaces situated within sunken gardens, seating areas offer great ways to utilize your space. By creating focal points with benches on either side of a fire pit and creating focal points like this bench seating arrangement, you will make the ideal spot for relaxing with friends in cool evening temperatures or spending quality time outside regardless of weather conditions.
Extensive gardens often provide space for various paved seating areas depending on how and when they’re being utilized. Consider what time of day when you want to spend time outdoors and ensure there is shaded seating available for morning coffee, sunny spots where lunch or dinner may be enjoyed, and even west-facing corners where the sunset over the water can be watched unfold.
Once you have established the dimensions of your seating area, it is time to begin considering how you will style and integrate paving with the rest of your garden design. Pick a material that reflects your decorating style: contemporary homes lend themselves well to sleek modern paving, while more traditional gardens benefit from country materials like rough, riven sandstone or tall hazel hurdles. Use a contrasting finish as a statement piece; smooth pebbles work beautifully as narrow borders against modern paving slabs, while scatterings of gently textured gravel can blur boundaries between paved areas and adjacent lawns or plants.
Fire Pits
A crackling fire provides an inviting focal point in any backyard, whether you’re roasting marshmallows on a warm summer night or sipping cider during an autumn afternoon. While many homeowners appreciate the rustic appeal of wood fires, gas fire pits offer a more accessible option without smoke, ash, or debris build-up.
Fire pits can add drama and intrigue to any paver patio while creating an intimate gathering spot for conversations, drinks, or snacks. When designing a fire pit for your landscape design plan, make sure it complements its overall shape.
Like traditional brick, pavers are made from non-flammable materials that are safe to use in a fire pit. However, a fire pit pad may be necessary to prevent them from discoloring or burning up in an accident.
Earthadelic Landscape & Construction‘s stunning outdoor fire pit takes inspiration from classic campground fires. Stones are arranged so as to appear natural and rustic, creating a cozy and rustic retreat for guests to sit back and take in lakeside views. The design was kept deliberately simple to avoid distracting from this serene waterfront scene; both the paver walkway and landscape wall incorporate natural stone textures matching the existing surroundings.