When it comes to home landscape design, most designers will include certain elements and features that are the most common, and one of those features that many clients want is paving. Paving provides a solid surface upon which to walk or park the car, and often, this is as much for safety and convenience purposes, such as when the client is elderly, as it is for aesthetics.
One of the most significant advantages of paving is that it can provide as many benefits about practical considerations as it does when thinking about the visuals of a landscaped garden. Of course, maximizing those benefits requires careful consideration of the paving to be laid, and below, we have outlined how you can make the best possible paving choices.
Choosing Paving Types
For most landscaped garden designs, you have two main choices as to the paving you use, namely composite materials and quarried stone. Both have pros, cons, and different characteristics, so careful consideration has to be given to each.
Quarried stone provides the natural option; for many, the beauty of granite or slate, the two main types, outweighs any other consideration. They are strong, stable, and offer timeless beauty.
Composite materials, including precast concrete and brick, are also highly durable and have fewer maintenance requirements. While they might not have the natural aesthetic beauty of quarried stone, they provide a much cheaper option for those with budget constraints.
Choosing Paving Shapes And Patterns
The three principal shapes you have are rectangular, round, and square, although these may not be exact with some quarried stones. Your choice will be dictated mainly by what the paving is used for i.e. foot traffic or a driveway. A rule of thumb is that rectangular shapes are best for large areas and contemporary landscaped designs. Square shapes look more traditional and thus best for small areas. Another option is ‘crazy paving’, which uses random shapes.
Choosing Paving Colours
Some homeowners often underestimate the influence that paving colors can have on the entire aesthetics of a garden. So, it would be best to consider the surroundings when choosing your paving colours. The colors do not have to be an exact match, but they should at least complement the features and plants within the garden. Remember, dark colors make areas look smaller, but they are the more contemporary option. Light colours are the converse of these.
Durability Considerations
Assuming you want your landscape garden to be around for years, you must consider how often your paving will be walked on or driven on all the time. In addition, there are the elements to consider and the effect of hour upon hour of hot sunshine or pouring rain over the years. As such, you want paving to withstand all of this and be maintained or quickly restored/repaired if necessary.
Paving Laying Options
A common means of laying and enhancing the long-term durability of your paving is to have a concrete base. Not only does this give paving a rigid base, but it also prevents weeds from growing through the gaps in the paving. This may increase the initial cost, but that is returned by you having less maintenance and repair costs in the future. As for laying patterns, there are multiple choices, including Herringbone, Circular, Border, Ashlar, and Basket Weaving, to name but a few.