A beautifully landscaped patio is an attractive addition to any backyard and an excellent way to create separate, dedicated areas for dining, entertaining and relaxing – allowing kids to play on your lawn freely or providing space for you to enjoy a warm coffee on a summer morning without navigating dewy grass.
Zoned gardens are hugely popular with homeowners since they provide a seamless way to develop a garden design that works for you, with practical seating interspersed with planting or alfresco dining areas positioned strategically close to trees to ensure the area remains cool and shady in hotter weather.
Let the Cotswold Paving and Landscaping team share some of our tips to ensure your patio landscaping delivers, with ideas to help you make key decisions about the size, slabs and placement of your new patio.
Patio Landscaping Options and Inspiration
Depending on the style and age of your house and the size of your garden, a patio may be a less expensive way to create a garden room, where you can use outdoor patios adjacent to sliding or bifold doors as an extension of your dining room, lounge or kitchen area.
There may also be an obvious place to build your patio, particularly if you have a multi-level or narrow garden and have a finite space within which you can accommodate a backyard patio.
The contrast between a standard patio and patio landscaping is that a skilled landscaper or garden design team can incorporate much more than simple block paving to extract maximum value from your outdoor space and ensure your patio is an attractive area that adds interest.
For example, a patio landscaping project may include:
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- Borders of flowers, shrubs, trees or additional structures such as a bamboo fence for privacy, a sunken fire pit or permanent seating, which you can add cushions and throws to during chilly evenings.
- A timber-built pergola or garden kitchen, with outdoor pizza ovens and BBQs as popular options.
- Patios designed with climbing trees or plants, selecting species that don’t have aggressive or rapidly growing root systems that could comprise the patio structure.
- Installing water features within the centre of the patio or as a feature within the garden.
- Patios that connect to large stepping stones traversing the garden, often using the same colour and size of slabs to develop a feeling of synchrony and consistency.
A patio is built from durable, long-lasting paving products such as natural stone or locally sourced bricks and is often chosen in favour of a deck since they require little maintenance and are intended to remain in good condition for years to come.
Creating a Dedicated Patio Area in Your Garden
The best starting point for any patio project is to think about the way you use your garden and how you will access the patio area. For example, if you have external doors that lead directly into the garden or a conservatory, you might consider building a patio that links with these entrances.
Another option is to build a patio that connects with driveways, where you have a smooth, even pathway from the front or side of your house to your outdoor seating area.
Separating a garden into different zones can make the area feel dramatically bigger, with screens that provide shelter and ensure that you and your guests never feel overlooked when enjoying the fresh air or gathering together for an outdoor celebration.
As we’ve indicated, patios can be constructed from various materials, with cobbles or local pebbles often used in stepping-stone paths to and from the patio, or stone, sandstone or concrete block paving for the main patio space. These paving materials provide good grip and offer myriad shades, sizes and textures without becoming slick and slippery in the rain.
If you have a sloping garden, a patio remains an excellent way to bring ambience to your backyard, creating a deck on one level with a grand staircase rising to it or tucked behind planting, shrubs or screens to develop a secluded space with a fire pit, garden furniture and seating to make the most of your garden.
Gardens with a long wall line can also suit a slimmer patio, built along the side of the garden space and bracketed by soft planting, trellises, trees and shrubs. Offsetting concrete, paving or stone with florals and climbing plants is a great way to ensure the patio doesn’t feel too impactful, blending the paving with your lawn or flower beds – you can also hang your choice of plant alongside the wall or fence to add a dash of colour and scent.
Adding Interest and Textures to Small Patio Gardens
A patio area is a great way to breathe fresh life into smaller gardens, and you can utilise the full outdoor area if this is limited, adding raised beds, flower boxes, shrub containers and hanging plants around your yard to ensure you have plenty of greenery in your garden.
The beauty of uniform patio pavers can make a compact garden feel wider and longer, while careful use of your space and innovative garden design ideas can add beauty and ambience to a smaller backyard.
We often recommend using the softness of greenery to ensure a small patio feels welcoming and relaxing, using timber or wicker furniture placements to capture the sun during the summer, and shades and weatherproof covers to ensure the garden room is used all year round.
If you don’t have the capacity for a lawn or have a property without the right soil conditions to grow a rich, green area of grass, natural paving can make the outdoor living space accessible, with glass accessories, a seamless fence line and bright planting excellent ways to create an amazing finish.
For more ideas about achieving an outstanding patio landscaping design in your garden, or for professional advice about the right materials, placements and size of blocks to use, please get in touch with the Cotswold Paving and Landscaping team at any time – we will be delighted to assist!