Patio Design

A patio is just one element of a garden design, but it is one of the most expensive elements of any garden build.  Because the patio fulfils several different functions it needs be given careful consideration.  Here are a few pointers on how to design a patio.

Garden patio design - Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire

Location of the patio

Most patios are sited immediately adjacent to the rear exit from the house because it is convenient - this may not be the best location for your patio.  The back of the house may be shaded all day and therefore not the best place for the patio if you wish to take advantage of the few hours of sunshine we get in this country.  Consider a small terrace to the rear of the house with another seating area somewhere else in the garden where it is sunnier.  When I’m designing a garden I always include more than one patio.  I always try to design a patio area that catches the last of the evening sun.  This makes the garden much more interesting.

 Garden patio design - Woking, Surey

Intended use of the patio

Is the patio mainly for alfresco dining or sunbathing or relaxing with a book or all three? The intended use will dictate the size and location of the patio.  A patio mainly for dining is best placed where there is some shade so that diners can keep cool on warmer days and seek the sun when the weather is cooler.  A patio intended mainly for sunbathing needs to be in a spot where it’s sunny all day.  If you want young children to safely use the patio, it needs to be somewhere you can see them from the house.

 Garden patio design - Bracknell, Berkshire

Capacity of the patio

The patio needs to be large enough to accommodate the correct size of table with room for chairs to be pulled out and for people to move around easily when others are seated.  I allow 1m width for the table, 500mm width on either side of the table for each chair when not pushed under the table, 300mm between chairs down the side of the table, and 700mm width to pull each chair out and sit down comfortably.  

 Garden patio design - Kenley, Surrey

Including built-in seating

Patio designs incorporating built-in seating with pergolas and outdoor fireplaces look very chic and transform the patio into an outdoor room.  This solution is convenient if you don’t want to shuffle around with garden furniture.  However, the position of the seating is fixed and restricts how you can use the patio.  The space is less flexible as seating cannot be varied to turn a dining area into a lounging area.

 Garden patio design - Silchester, Berkshire - built-in seating

Creating privacy

 If the patio is overlooked the patio design will need to include screening for the patio to create privacy.   Walls, hedges, pergolas, and fences can be included in the patio design to provide a sense of enclosure and privacy.

 

  Garden patio design - Woking, Surrey

Decide on the budget

 Installing a patio is expensive but it is worth spending as much as you can afford as the patio is such an important part of the garden.  Allow around £120 per square metre as an all-in cost to get a contractor to lay your patio. 

 Garden patio design - Woking, Surrey

 Choosing the surface material

The most common surface for a patio are paving slabs.  There are many different types of paving slab with a wide range of price tags.  

Steer clear of concrete slabs – they are often more expensive than natural stone, will fade over time and always end up looking fake.  Indian Sandstone has dominated the paving slab market for years as it is cheap, natural, widely available and looks good.  Cheaper Indian Sandstone is not always the bargain it appears as it is thinner, or poorer quality and more porous causing leaching of the minerals in the mortar onto the top surface of the stone.  There are some inexpensive granite slabs around that make a wonderful surface only slightly more expensive than Indian Sandstone.  The more expensive options are Travertine, York stone, Basalt, and Marble.  

Polished concrete makes a wonderful contemporary surface for the patio.  Resin bound gravel is not only great for driveways, but makes an excellent contribution to the patio paving when combined with other materials for textural contrast.  

Garden patio design - Reading, Berkshire

A patio should never be designed in isolation without considering the rest of the garden. A well designed garden where all the elements are in scale with each other and the house will connect the house and garden.  A balanced design that includes a patio or multiple patios will give the garden coherence and ensure that it is a pleasant, comfortable space in which to spend time.  

If you'd like help with designing your garden please get in touch.  Visit my Web site and Facebook page for more project photos. 

Linsey Evans Garden Design creates beautiful bespoke gardens throughout Berkshire, Surrey, London, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.

Garden Design Ideas - Small Trees for Spring Blossom

Trees are important for providing colour and height in a garden.  Choosing a tree for a small space can be tricky.  So, here are a few suggestions that won’t grow too big and will provide good spring blossom.

1. Cornus kousa var chinensis ‘China Girl’ and ‘Wisley Cream

These lovely flowering Dogwoods are slow growing with a spreading habit and loads of flowers in late spring.  What look like flowers are actually large, white clematis-like bracts that flush pink and are followed by red fruit.  Cornus also have the added benefit of providing great autumn colour when their leaves turn deep purple-red in autumn.

2. Prunus ‘Spire’

This is a fantastic tree for a small space as it has an upright habit.  Like all flowering cherries it is covered with pink flowers in the spring.  Then its foliage which starts off bronze gives wonderful autumn colour.

3. Cercis chinensis ‘Avondale’

One of my personal favourite small trees that can also be kept pruned as a shrub.  All varieties of Cercis have a really interesting growth habit with the bright pink flowers appearing in dense clusters on the stem and branches before the leaves.  Leaves are large and heart shaped with a bluish tint.  The tree is then covered with dry pea pod fruits in the autumn.

4. Tamarix ramossissima ‘Pink Cascade’

Often relegated to hedgerows and kept ruthlessly pruned Tamarix makes a fabulous small tree with its airy stems covered in pink blossom. One of my clients described it as looking rather like an exploding firework which is surprisingly accurate.

If you'd like help with designing your garden please get in touch.  Visit my Web site and Facebook page for more project photos. 

Linsey Evans Garden Design creates beautiful bespoke gardens throughout Berkshire, Surrey, London, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.