These ideas are rock solid
When you think of landscaping you probably think of your favorite flowers or trees, but there’s actually an unsung hero in every landscape design: the paving stone. From bluestone to brick to cobblestone to concrete, the variety of pavers is as endless as the possibilities for their use. When it comes to landscaping with pavers, here are some of the most popular and doable ways to incorporate them into your home garden design.
1. Create Dynamic Paver Walkways
Whether you want a curved path meandering through your front yard or something more linear, using pavers to make beautiful walkways is a thing of both beauty and function.
The lines of these paver paths can be used to direct eyes toward a focal point, such as a porch or a landscaping feature. They can also be used to help transition one zone of the yard to another. Paver walkways also help create areas for groupings of plantings to nest together, making a cohesive design and boosting curb appeal.
2. Use Paving Stones to Create Raised Beds
Paving stones need not be for in-ground work alone. They can also be used to make beautiful terraced raised garden beds and stone walls.
Not only does this give you an attractive way to give height and dimension to your landscaping, but it also ties the path into the hardscaping throughout the yard, giving cohesion to the design. It can save money, too, since bricks and other paving stones usually come by the pallet. You’ll often have enough stones leftover to do this kind of work if you’re already doing a patio, driveway, or path project.
3. Make Paving Stone Steps
If you’re putting in a paving stone path, factor in extra paving stones for steps and you can create the illusion that a beautiful stone path does not end when the porch begins. You can also make steps that lead to a special seating nook hidden in the garden.
Give Your Driveway a Paver Makeover
Instead of being something you simply overlook, your driveway will actually become an asset. They can last for 50 or more years, with proper maintenance. Many of the simple repairs can be done by homeowners. Plus, because pavers have so much variety in texture, size, and shape, it’s possible to match nearly any home’s style and aesthetic.
5. Expand With a Paver Patio
A gorgeous paver patio is a space that transitions the “wild” outdoors and the comforts of indoors, using natural materials in a tamed way to create a space outside that feels utterly at home.
Paver patios can be as simple as patterns made with classic brick and as elaborate as slate extensions that expand into kitchens and pool areas. There are endless materials and combinations, limited only by your budget and your imagination.
Doing paver work, especially working in small areas, such as stepping stones or small brick paver patio areas, is something homeowners may feel comfortable tackling on their own. But if you’d rather leave the stonework to the pros, find a local hardscaping specialist to give you an estimate.
