YES		NO

Garden Paving Designs to Suit Your Theme

Your garden paving design could match the overall theme of your outdoor living area. Some of today’s most popular themes for gardens are Japanese, English Country, Mexican and Desert.

A lot depends on where you live and the amount of rainfall you have every year. Desert gardens originated in hot, arid areas, but many desert plants will thrive anywhere. The low maintenance makes them a popular choice.

Desert plants include cacti and other succulents. Aloe or jojoba would be suitable. Both of those plants have some medicinal value.

The Mexican and desert themes are complementary, almost interchangeable. Red bougainvillea and yucca plants fit in either category. The plants thrive in sunny locations, but are hardy enough to survive in partial shade. Cold doesn’t bother them much. Desert temperatures are very low after dark.

Mexican architecture is strongly influenced by Spanish designs. You can recreate a Mexican or Spanish courtyard with brick, stone, tile or concrete.

Terra cotta colors are the most common choice for Mexican and desert garden paving. A Spanish tile stain or Mission brown stain works well, too.

You might choose a circular pattern surrounding a fountain as a focal point. Let your walkways meander through your gardens to encourage your guests to walk through. A few strategically placed concrete benches can be used for quiet gathering places where guests can stop, chat and enjoy the fragrance of bougainvillea.

Japanese garden paving designs are meant to blend harmoniously with the natural environment. Exposed aggregate concrete is often used, because the appearance is similar to gravel, but far less maintenance is required.

Natural stones can be used to define walkways or surround specific areas of your gardens. The stones can be set into the grass if you don’t mind a little maintenance. The grass or moss growing between the stones is said to create a balance between the man-made and the natural environment.

Small river rocks might be used to soften the edges of concrete walkways. Pagodas, bridges and water features complete the theme.

Plants you might choose include black pine, Japanese maple, hosta and sweet flag. Asymmetry is an element of Japanese design. Plants or plant clusters should not have a matching counterpart directly across the walkway.

English Country or Cottage gardens originated with the English rural working class. They lived in small countryside homes and had little money to spend on their gardens, but they had other resources. Cuttings were taken from neighbors plants. Wild roses and other shrubs were transplanted. The final result is a look of planned chaos.

Traditional English Country garden paving choices include natural colored limestone, European fieldstone and brick. Stamped concrete is an affordable and durable alternative.

Furnishings should have an aged look. Lawn ornaments might include a rusted tin watering can, an old wheelbarrow or a quaint birdhouse.

In addition to wild roses, plants traditionally found in Cottage gardens include hollyhocks, snap dragons, foxgloves and peonies. Boxwoods and other evergreen shrubs might be used as a backdrop. A small flowering magnolia could be a center point, surrounded by an abundance of flowering plants.

A local nursery can help you choose the right plants for your neighborhood. A good company such as Paving Designs UK can help you choose the right garden paving design for your garden’s theme.