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PART ONE: DRAWING UP A WISHLIST
PLACES TO SIT
Do you need just one area in which to sit or do you have to follow the sun around your garden? If you don't have a south facing garden, you may need two patios - one for the morning and one for later in the evening. Maybe you want to have a place to get out of the sun and this could be a small seating area in the shade. Creating more than one seating area can make your garden feel bigger than it actually is and give you a number of different perspectives from which to view your garden's features.
Hard-paved patios
There are many different paving materials available on the market today. There is also a choice between natural stone and precast concrete. In addition, there are kits available in circles or octagons. Your choice of materials will determine the style of your garden but more about that later. For the time being, you just need to decide if you want a hard-paved seating area and what will be its ideal shape. Hard-paved areas generally require less maintenance than decking and they are more permanent.
Decking
Decking is a good choice for sloping sites and it also feels softer underfoot. Decking can lend a contemporary feel to gardens too but they do need regular maintenance. If you need to have more than one seating area, one hard-paved and one decked is a nice contrast.
Benches, arbors and hammocks
A small site for a bench which looks onto a particular feature in the garden can create a relaxing place to rest or a secret hideaway where you can get away from it all and read a book. Arbour seats let you plant scented climbers around your seating area or you might want to while away the hours on your swing hammock.
OTHER WISH LIST ELEMENTS
