11 Standout Ideas for Garden Paving and Stone
Be inspired by a garden designer’s alternative ideas for using stone on your patio, path, lawn or terrace – whatever your budget
When creating your garden, it’s easy simply to decide on a single paving product and lay it everywhere – just as many of your neighbours may have done. But the stonework in your garden doesn’t have to be the same as the rest of the street’s, because even the smallest detail can lift quite ordinary paving into another league.
With some great details and simple twists, you can add character and individuality to your garden. Let these outside spaces spark some creative ideas for your own.
With some great details and simple twists, you can add character and individuality to your garden. Let these outside spaces spark some creative ideas for your own.
Mix dull tones with colour
The slate grey tones of many surfaces can be miserable in a small garden under a cloudy sky. In this garden we can see how the beautiful grey limestone paving has been surrounded by a burst of bright colour that makes the paving even more beautiful.
In itself, it’s stylish paving and the pointing, using a pale grey cement, sets off each individual slab. Eventually it will dull down, but the contrast with the walls and the new planting will continue to give it a stylish spin.
The slate grey tones of many surfaces can be miserable in a small garden under a cloudy sky. In this garden we can see how the beautiful grey limestone paving has been surrounded by a burst of bright colour that makes the paving even more beautiful.
In itself, it’s stylish paving and the pointing, using a pale grey cement, sets off each individual slab. Eventually it will dull down, but the contrast with the walls and the new planting will continue to give it a stylish spin.
Play with pattern
This garden takes the stepping stone theme one step further. The pattern of simple square pavers laid within the lawn pull you through a border and out into a focal lawn, and then out again to a larger lawn.
It’s a simple but effective way of creating motion through the garden using the pavers set on a directional 45 degree angle – and it’s an easy idea to copy. To cut the lawn, just take your lawnmower over the top.
This garden takes the stepping stone theme one step further. The pattern of simple square pavers laid within the lawn pull you through a border and out into a focal lawn, and then out again to a larger lawn.
It’s a simple but effective way of creating motion through the garden using the pavers set on a directional 45 degree angle – and it’s an easy idea to copy. To cut the lawn, just take your lawnmower over the top.
Add modern stepping stones
These large pieces of ‘broken’ concrete create a great random path through a gravel surface. Children would love jumping from one to another, while the two surface materials work together to create a workable path to the front door.
Steal the idea with old flagstones broken into uneven slabs and pea shingle to create your own contemporary take on a stepping stone path.
These large pieces of ‘broken’ concrete create a great random path through a gravel surface. Children would love jumping from one to another, while the two surface materials work together to create a workable path to the front door.
Steal the idea with old flagstones broken into uneven slabs and pea shingle to create your own contemporary take on a stepping stone path.
Go freestyle
The Japanese reign supreme at laying out small unit paving setts, cobbles and pebbles into interesting patterns – and this is an idea that could easily have come from Japan.
In this garden, a combination of small surfacing cobbles, unit pavers and gravel have been brought together to create a flowing path that leads us through the space.
You can take this idea for the smallest spaces and visually pull visitors in different directions. For design ideas, think wave patterns, swirls and beach-like funnels to freestyle your pathways into unique patterns.
The Japanese reign supreme at laying out small unit paving setts, cobbles and pebbles into interesting patterns – and this is an idea that could easily have come from Japan.
In this garden, a combination of small surfacing cobbles, unit pavers and gravel have been brought together to create a flowing path that leads us through the space.
You can take this idea for the smallest spaces and visually pull visitors in different directions. For design ideas, think wave patterns, swirls and beach-like funnels to freestyle your pathways into unique patterns.
Choose traditional bonding
You can always tell stylish paving by the pattern in which it’s been laid, and this elegant path up to a big house displays the garden’s style in buckets.
But you don’t need a grand country pile to steal this style: get the look by using bonded pavers and following a simple, traditional laying pattern. Laying the paving in regular bands is easy, because most paving arrives in regular widths, so you waste very little in cutting it to size.
Find out about 10 different laying patterns for tiles
You can always tell stylish paving by the pattern in which it’s been laid, and this elegant path up to a big house displays the garden’s style in buckets.
But you don’t need a grand country pile to steal this style: get the look by using bonded pavers and following a simple, traditional laying pattern. Laying the paving in regular bands is easy, because most paving arrives in regular widths, so you waste very little in cutting it to size.
Find out about 10 different laying patterns for tiles
Get setts
There’s a whole trend for land forming these days, whether it’s done by forming large mounds and hills, or just playing with how you cut the grass.
In this garden, the designer has taken it one step further by delineating the trees and meadow areas with a smart mown path edging made from small setts. It will cut down on the need to work out where the path is and where the plants are.
You could also plant up those spaces beneath the trees with spring bulbs and wildflowers, knowing you won’t step on them as they’re growing, since the setts will tell you where to walk.
There’s a whole trend for land forming these days, whether it’s done by forming large mounds and hills, or just playing with how you cut the grass.
In this garden, the designer has taken it one step further by delineating the trees and meadow areas with a smart mown path edging made from small setts. It will cut down on the need to work out where the path is and where the plants are.
You could also plant up those spaces beneath the trees with spring bulbs and wildflowers, knowing you won’t step on them as they’re growing, since the setts will tell you where to walk.
Use the same stone in different ways
A simple way to tie all the hard elements of your garden together is to use the same material in different ways.
In this Mediterranean garden, we used sandstone paving from a local quarry, but also sourced walling stone from the same place. The walling stone was taken from different parts of the quarry, so the tones vary a little, but ultimately the material blended the garden together.
You could also try mixing regular square paving with a panel of crazy paving for a little contrast.
A simple way to tie all the hard elements of your garden together is to use the same material in different ways.
In this Mediterranean garden, we used sandstone paving from a local quarry, but also sourced walling stone from the same place. The walling stone was taken from different parts of the quarry, so the tones vary a little, but ultimately the material blended the garden together.
You could also try mixing regular square paving with a panel of crazy paving for a little contrast.
Step up (or down)
Lots of us have level changes, which can be really expensive or difficult to deal with. This garden has cut down on paving by the use of simple grass steps with stone retainers. You could easily do this with reclaimed materials, back-filling with soil and turfing the surfaces.
It’s great where you have large steps to create, but is equally at home on narrower stairs. Do make them deep enough to get a lawn mower in for ease of maintenance.
Lots of us have level changes, which can be really expensive or difficult to deal with. This garden has cut down on paving by the use of simple grass steps with stone retainers. You could easily do this with reclaimed materials, back-filling with soil and turfing the surfaces.
It’s great where you have large steps to create, but is equally at home on narrower stairs. Do make them deep enough to get a lawn mower in for ease of maintenance.
Work in unique details
Achieving a large mosaic paved area can be daunting and often costly. I love this path that uses just a small area of mosaic infill amid crazy paving. Even better, it’s not just small pebbles – some jewel-like stones or marbles have been added to catch the glint of the sun and create a small detail that makes this paving unique.
It’s easily done, and with found objects the right sort of size, you could even lift one or two pavers in an existing patio and copy this idea in a few hours.
Achieving a large mosaic paved area can be daunting and often costly. I love this path that uses just a small area of mosaic infill amid crazy paving. Even better, it’s not just small pebbles – some jewel-like stones or marbles have been added to catch the glint of the sun and create a small detail that makes this paving unique.
It’s easily done, and with found objects the right sort of size, you could even lift one or two pavers in an existing patio and copy this idea in a few hours.
Be stylish on a budget
Paving is one of the most expensive materials in a garden, but it doesn’t mean you should miss out on a stylish solution. In this garden, a very simple, inexpensive concrete paver has been combined with gravel and a simple pattern to provide a standout path.
The gravel has been taken into the rest of the front garden where fewer people will walk, but where it will give access to all the planted beds. Simple, effective and great for drainage.
TELL US…
What would be your dream garden paving or stone – or do you already have it? Let us know in the Comments below.
Paving is one of the most expensive materials in a garden, but it doesn’t mean you should miss out on a stylish solution. In this garden, a very simple, inexpensive concrete paver has been combined with gravel and a simple pattern to provide a standout path.
The gravel has been taken into the rest of the front garden where fewer people will walk, but where it will give access to all the planted beds. Simple, effective and great for drainage.
TELL US…
What would be your dream garden paving or stone – or do you already have it? Let us know in the Comments below.
There’s beauty in old stone and you can pick up lots of old granite kerbstones at stone yards; they are also surprisingly cheap because, after all, who wants a kerbstone? But when kerbstones are used like this they can help you to create a really great aesthetic, using simple lines and differing lengths that lead you from the house to a seating area.
Lay kerbstones across the garden to make it feel wider; lay them lengthways to make it feel longer.
See more attractive ideas for garden flooring