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Paving – Creating a summer patio garden
Garden paving – As summer once again threatens to get into full swing it’s a good time to create a patio garden using garden Paving. With an increasing interest in patio gardens over the last few years there are now an increasing number of styles of garden paving and garden products dedicated to help you gain the maximum amount of use and enjoyment from your patio garden.
The biggest impact on patio gardens has undoubtedly been decking which provides an ideal surface for summer as the wood is near cold but at the same time never becomes excessively hot as will some natural stone and manmade paving product. Easy to construct and creates an easy to maintain area which can be raised to the existing floor levels within the house.
Ideal for kids during the day and easy to clean by simply washing down to provide the ideal setting for an evening barbecue.
When creating any area in the garden one of the first aims must be to add interest. With a patio garden the area tends to lend itself to creating interest by the use of lighting and different shaped pots and containers. The key when lighting a patio garden is to keep the lights fairly low key, because the existing indoor house light provide much of the light required outdoor any additional garden lighting should be installed to provide interest in the form of shadows and highlighting features.
Another excellent way of increasing interest in a patio garden is with the use of sound that can add an additional dimension to the area at night as well as during the day. The simplest way to produce sound in a patio garden is to use wind chimes that provide a simple relaxing sound. A little more obvious way to produce sound is with to create a small water feature in the form of a bubbling spring or water fall. Water has the added advantage that it creates a cooling effect, which although does not lower the air temperature creates the feeling and illusion of a cooler area. Water is also use full at adding the dimension of movement of water.
See GardenAdvice guide to building your own waterfeatures
Once you have created the basic patio area plants and container can provide the finishing touches. With the increase in automatic irrigation systems it is easier to grow container plant free from worries from watering is you are away from home on holiday or the weather suddenly turns hot on your long weekend break. Container planting can set the style for the area. Using plants such as yuccas can produce a very formal architectural style whilst using softer plants such as artemesia and rosemary can tone down the hard straight corners of a new deck to create a more informal style.
See GardenAdvice guide to container gardening
To extend the use of your new patio garden the ideal addition is an awning, which can provide that much needed shelter during the heat of the day or can prevent a quick shower turn into a complete disaster on your regular Weekend barbecue.
