Paving: ideas for the terrace and garden

Anyone who limits paving to the purely functional task of paving the surface remains closed to an imaginative world of creative garden design. Paving made of natural stone, clinker or concrete, with their stony durability, form the ideal antithesis to the growth and decay of a garden planting. Diverse shapes and beautiful colors allow individual design variants for every style and every budget. These ideas would like to inspire your imagination to use paving as a style-defining component for the terrace and garden.

polygonal panels

– trendy and inexpensive for the seat –

The trend towards nature-loving garden design is reflected in the structuring of paved areas. The formal, strictly geometric structure is increasingly being replaced by wildly shaped compositions. Polygonal panels fulfill the desire for orderly disorder for the attachment of terrace and garden to perfection. These are rough natural stone slabs in a natural shape. Therefore, no two polygonal slabs are the same, which gives each paved area a unique appearance. Since almost all types of natural stone are available as polygonal slabs, there is a stylish solution for every budget. The following overview demonstrates the wide range of design variants for a fixed seat with polygonal panels:

• Porphyry, the reddish volcanic rock with clearly visible, enclosed crystals: from EUR 12.90 per m²
• Danube gneiss, the long-lasting hard rock, as a golden-brown color variant for Mediterranean flair: from EUR 27.90 per m²
• Granite, the high-quality natural stone in elegant gray for elegant garden design: from EUR 153.50 per m²

Naturally rough polygonal slabs are very popular for stylishly paving walkways and terraces. With a diamond-cut or sandblasted surface, the natural stone slabs are flattering feet without sacrificing slip resistance. The wildly shaped break plates are therefore a good choice for securing the immediate vicinity of a swimming pool or swimming pond.

Clever path design

– How to make a small garden big –

In modern single-family homes, the space for the garden is usually limited. Sophisticated methods are required here to optically enlarge the available space. A successful approach upgrades a garden path to a space-forming line of sight. This trick succeeds on different levels that reinforce each other.

How to do it:

• Curved path towards the end of the garden
• Aimed at an eye-catcher, such as a sculpture, rondel or pond
• Path design with rectangular paving stones, laid in a vertical stretcher bond

If the garden path starts from a terrace, corresponding stone qualities should be used for the paved areas. Ideally, the color gradually lightens until the end of the path, which makes an additional contribution to the optical depth effect. The following example illustrates the impressive effect: The terrace is paved with granite paving slabs in anthracite. A staircase made of gray granite block steps acts as a transition to the garden path. Light gray rectangular extruded clinker pavers are laid along the path, which have a white-grey color nuance at the end of the path.

Rocky force meets filigree green

– Ideas for green paving areas –

Garden areas completely sealed with paving are not always the best possible design option. Special ideas are required for the natural attachment of parking spaces in the garden and front yard - for example for garbage cans, garden tools or cars. This also applies to the cozy seat under a tree, where a solid surface is desirable that does not affect the roots of the tree disc. The horticultural stroke of genius succeeds with a combination of paving stones and small-scale greenery. The following options may fire your imagination:

• Lawn pavers made of concrete with a surface layer of quartz for an elegant look
• Cavities filled with potting soil to sow lawn seeds
• Alternatively, use small Sedum or Sempervivum for planting

If the lawn pavers do not have to withstand a vehicle, you can do without a bedding made of gravel or concrete when paving. The high dead weight of more than 20 kg makes additional anchoring unnecessary. Dig the soil deep enough so that the edges of the stones protrude a little above the ground. This will prevent puddles from forming later.

pave fireplace

– Security with a decorative touch –

A roaring campfire in the evening summer garden is high on the wish list of garden owners. The spectrum for the romantic decorative dream extends from the mobile fire basket to the brick fireplace. A prudent choice of location at a sufficient distance from combustible plants, the buildings and neighbors is only one safety-relevant aspect. A paved surface makes an equally important contribution to the untroubled joy of the crackling campfire. Heat-sensitive, soft types of natural stone and concrete blocks are not suitable for this purpose. The following design ideas give an insight into the many options:

• Inexpensive: Lay small paving stones made of used basalt in a circular shape
• Elegant and inexpensive: brick fireplace surrounded by a paved surface made of polygonal slabs
• Clever: pave the discarded pool with bricks or clinker and convert it into a fireplace

If you don't want a uniform paved area around the fireplace, creatively break up the appearance with mini gravel areas. For this purpose, you save geometric areas when paving in order to fill them with pebbles. Planting, as with grass pavers, is risky here, since flying sparks can ignite dry grass in summer.

Historical flair for the cottage garden

– inspirations in stone –

The magnificent monastery and cottage gardens of the Middle Ages are still the inspiration for a traditional form of garden design with the aim of partial self-sufficiency. An important authentic component is the path system in the form of a cloister with a rondel as the centre. Modern paving stones are out of place here for attachment. In order to do justice to the historical concept when choosing the floor covering, the focus is on on antique, round shaped cobblestones, also known as boulders, cat cobblestones or candy patch. If you pave the main path, seating area and roundabout with these stone ambassadors of the past, it seems to the viewer as if time has stood still in your cottage garden.

The rustic paving stone variant is available in specialist shops as a used quality at a reasonable price. Word has gotten around among manufacturers about the increasing demand for boulders, so they are reproduced true to the original from travertine, sandstone, granite or other types of natural stone. Nevertheless, used small plasters score with special advantages. The surface has been smoothed over the centuries, creating a unique charm. Compared to the comparatively rough new material, the worn cat cobblestones also offer improved walking comfort.

embankment pavement

- Ideas for the decorative slope attachment -

A garden on a slope scores with natural terrain modeling for unique design ideas that flat terrain cannot offer. Before the horticultural creativity comes into play, the question of safety is at the center of interest. The steeper the slope, the more professionally it should be secured against slipping. With embankment pavers, the requirement is met both reliably and elegantly. These are roughly split quarry stones with a thickness of 10 to 35 cm. Laid on a bedding of gravel or concrete, the special paving stones give embankments, slopes or steep banks reliable stability.

Embankment paving stones made of shell limestone offer an inexpensive solution to problems for areas that are not permanently in view. Representatively pave a slope with stones made of granite in warm tones. By using granite stones of the same color for the attachment of the main terrace and small seating areas on the lower slopes, you create a harmonious look in the overall picture.

Embankment paving stones form a congenial partnership with vigorously branching mini perennials and small shrubs. By leaving out gaps between the stones and filling them with humus, easy-care hanging plants find space for vital growth. This is where floral survivors who are able to cope with the special requirements are in demand. Robust commemorative flowers (Omphalodes verna), indestructible Waldsteinia (Waldsteinia ternata) and long-lived cranesbills (Geranium) set decorative accents on the slope with their blooms. St. John's wort (Hypericum calycinum), lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis) and cotoneaster (Cotoneaster) are always on hand on steep slopes.

Illuminated cobblestones

– Highlight for terrace and garden –

Illuminated paving stones, which can be integrated into any paved surface, provide an atmospheric ambience and orientation aid at night. Pavers or concrete blocks are equipped with a light-emitting diode. The energy supply runs via a transformer that is connected to the power grid or with practical solar technology. The built-in light source does not affect the stability or frost resistance of the paving stones.

Classic and modern laying patterns at a glance

When it comes to paving, optics play a key role. Therefore, when planning, consider how you will arrange the stones and slabs when laying them. A variety of classic and cutting-edge laying patterns show how you can add the finishing touches to paved areas on the terrace and in the garden. The most popular variants are examined in more detail below:

Wild Association

The laying pattern is copied from the Romans and is primarily suitable for paving with boulders. The small to medium-sized stones are arranged irregularly on a subsoil of gravel, gravel and sand. Geometric shapes are seen as a break in style in a wild association. The only premise for the laying work is the consistent avoidance of cross joints, because these affect the stability of the fixed surface.

runner association

Paving with standardized concrete blocks in stretcher bond is easy and perfectly suited for beginners. The stones are cut at the edges and placed next to each other row by row in their original size. It is important to note that there are no cross joints. In concrete terms, this means that you stagger the rows of stones so that the joints in the first row run towards the middle of the stones in the second row and so on.

diagonal bond

In its basic structure, the diagonal bond is similar to the stretcher bond and is just as easy to use. The only difference is the diagonal orientation of the paving stones at a 45-degree angle. Standardized concrete, clinker and natural stones are suitable for the diagonal laying pattern.

braided bandage

The laying pattern in the braided association sets the bar a little higher. The method aims to create a pattern similar to basket weaving. For this purpose, half of the paving stones are cut in half. A whole and a half stone form a pair that lies next to each other. The next pair of stones is perpendicular to the previous pair. Continue in this way to the edge where the last pairs of stones are cut, if necessary.

block bandage

The ideal laying pattern for the terrace and the seating area in the garden. Two stones are always laid in a parallel block. The next pair of stones abut in the opposite direction. In this way, a chessboard pattern is created that accepts the otherwise frowned upon cross joints. This circumstance reduces the stability of the paved surface, making this laying pattern unsuitable for driveways.

arch pavement

Paving in arches and scale shapes is the supreme discipline in paving. Small pavers made of natural stone are predestined for this laying pattern. Precise markings with taut strings and a nail compass in the sand bed are essential for a satisfactory result. The starting point for laying is always the arch itself. From here, work your way down arc by arc. Experience has shown that the stones get smaller at the end of an arc, so you need at least two grit sizes, such as 10/12 and 5/7, for a perfect look.

circular pattern

Circular paved areas mark a node in the garden, emphasize the location of eye-catchers and are ideal for the round terrace. For beginners, the specialist trade offers ready-made concrete blocks that are cast in a wedge shape. Advanced hikers with a soft spot for natural stone use cobblestones. In contrast to arch paving, in a circle the laying work begins in the center with four stones arranged in a square. Starting from this center point, use the nail compass to draw the circular contour in the sand. Guide lines mark the height of the laid stones. When laying, it should be noted that the narrow edge lengths point towards the center of the circle and the wide edge lengths point outwards. A combination of light and dark paving stones creates a special visual effect.

Learn more about building garden paths - guide