The most suitable place for a patio is adjoining the main living-room of the house, with access through patio doors or French windows. If it is easy to reach, the patio is more likely to be used to the fullest, and tidying up and caring for plants in containers will be less work than if the patio is at the other end of the garden. However, at times there may be a case to place a patio at some distance from the house; on a site where it is sunnier, more sheltered, has a better view or is less overlooked by neighboring properties. This may also provide the opportunity for an adjoining gazebo or summer house to store chairs.
There are three main types of material that can be used to build a patio: hard surfaces, including bricks, slabs, pavers and setts; a wooden surface, in the form of decking; and a gravel surface, either loose or self-binding (with a clay content high enough for the stones to bind together). Hard surfaces need the most ground preparation and take longer to lay, but once built are the easiest to look after and the most durable.
If a patio is to blend into the garden's overall design, consider the style and size of the plot as well as the purpose of the patio. Patios in small gardens are the most difficult to integrate because they occupy a high proportion of the available space, but you can still achieve attractive results by using the right materials in the right way.
The overall shape of a patio doesn't have to be square; circular and semi-circular patios are now as easy to build as square ones with the use of a special kit of interlocking blocks. You can also play around with paving materials. For example, laying slabs at a 45 degree angle to the house makes them look more inviting than if they are set square. And the patio can be jazzed up by combining paving material types. Look for contrasts of color, size and texture, such as gravel with timber, or use lines of pavers or setts to break up an area of slabs. Extra care will need to be taken, though, to achieve a level surface, but your task can be made easier by combining paving of the same thickness.
To make a paved area appear smaller, remove or add the occasional slab at the edge of the patio to break up straight lines and blur the patio's edges. Alternatively, you can replace individual slabs with boulders, stone chippings or gravel. Use plants to soften a hard surface by making planting pockets in the patio, building a raised bed or allowing the plants in the surrounding borders to cascade over and hide the edges.
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A circular patio design can add an extra level of interest to your outdoor space.
