Larsen Landscape | Blog

MORE ON FLAGSTONE

I am often asked to put in patios that feature flagstone with greenery, like sod or ground cover, filling the spaces between the stones.  In fact, I have several photos in my portfolio showing that very thing – and they often get commented on when someone is leafing through the pages.

Personally, I do like that look too and I think it adds a certain natural look to a garden setting.  I do, however, find myself explaining quite often that it is not the right choice for a main patio.

From experience, it has become obvious that any aesthetic gain that one achieves by using this type of flagstone approach for a main patio area is outweighed by the problems it creates.  The lawn or ground cover between the stones has to be watered, fed, trimmed or mowed as well as weeded.  The watering either involves getting any furniture wet that is on the patio – or relying on underground drip tubing (something that is usually not reliable over any long period of time).

The other problem involves the inescapable fact that the wet soil between the stones tends to move when it is walked on or furniture is moved across it.  This makes for an increasingly uneven surface over time and probably a tripping hazard as well.

Patio Garden

On the other hand, I absolutely love the look for a small patio that is really part of the garden setting rather than something that contains a table and chairs.  It could be tucked away amongst some trees and shrubs, possibly with a park bench perched in a corner, making it more of an occasional getaway spot.  Even if it hardly ever gets used, it always looks inviting, and that is a very important factor in a landscape design.  A garden and patio should always look like someplace you would like to go spend time in, especially when time is at a premium.