When a patio is out of date, what do you do? You have to decide between the costs of new patio construction or using patio plants to dress up the old one. The decision largely comes down to personal tastes.
I recently engaged in a conversation on this matter with Sue Breen, a resident of San Rafael, CA. I've reproduced our discussion below:
Patio Construction or Patio Plants (From Sue):
Hi David,
Thanks for all of the useful info on your site, it's quite helpful. I was wondering if you would offer an opinion on a landscape issue that I have been struggling with for several years.
I have a pie shaped backyard in San Rafael, California. The garden is sufficiently sized for the amount of maintenance that I want to do and offers beautiful views of the surrounding open space and a distant mountain.
Here's my quandary: We have a rather large, pebbled concrete patio that was installed when our home was built in 1968. It has nice lines, and is in decent shape but looks very dated. I've gathered quotes to have it capped with bluestone that range from 15 to 20 thousand. That amount is my entire budget for the rest of the yard but I am able to dig a bit deeper if I choose to with the help of a home equity loan.
Here is my question...if this were your yard, would you go for it and redo the patio at the same time? My fear is that if I landscape the rest of the yard, my 70's-era pebbled concrete will stick out like a sore thumb. Though a friend points out that landscaping the rest of the yard will make the patio disappear.
I know there is no right or wrong answer here. I'm just trying to get your opinion from a design perspective.
Patio Construction or Patio Plants (Response From Me):
"Hi Sue,
I think the matter comes down to how you use your backyard. If entertaining guests there is important to you, then I'd invest the money in the new patio construction. How the patio looks does set the tone for how other's will perceive your backyard. Even if you 'hide' the present patio using landscaping, you're missing out on being able to make a statement with your patio. When the goal is to impress, I'd advise against scrimping on a component as central to a design scheme as the patio; new patio construction would be advisable.
But if the backyard is primarily for your own enjoyment, that's another matter altogether. In this case, I would agree with your friend's advice -- "that landscaping the rest of the yard will make the patio disappear." And not just "the rest of the yard," but the patio itself, too! For instance, use patio plants: that is, place container-grown plants at strategic locations on the patio's floor. As you work on the landscaping on your property, you may find more and more that the patio recedes into the background. You may come to see it more and more as merely functional, as a stepping stone used to reach the more interesting parts of the backyard.
However, the latter point comes down to how one perceives things, and that's largely a personal matter. Some of us are very good at "seeing what we want to see." I would include myself as being of that type. Others develop an opinion about something quickly and are adamant about sticking to it. For the latter personality type, it may be difficult for the patio to 'recede into the background;' nothing less than new patio construction would do the trick."
Patio Construction or Patio Plants (From Sue):
Dear David,
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly regarding my patio. You really provided me with clarity and helped me understand why this issue is so difficult to resolve. It does come down to how one, 'sees things'. I think the bottom line is that I can live with the perfectly OK pebbled patio. There is no question that the bluestone would have a high 'wow' factor, but at this stage of my life (with two kids approaching college age), money in the bank has a big 'wow' factor as well.
I really like your idea of redirecting the focus of the patio with potted plants and such. Last night, I drew up a small plan to add potted citrus trees in oversized terra cotta containers. If I placed the containers on wheels, I could move them around the patio. Another thought that came to me was to use an indoor/outdoor sisal rug to cover up a section of the patio and create the effect of an outdoor room.
Letting go of the new patio was a big step; I'm actually looking forward to the project again. Now if someone could just turn off the rain out here....
Conclusion on Patio Construction vs. Patio Plants:
Chalk one up for patio plants! It's certainly an enticing option, what with so many patio plants from which to choose. There are also numerous options for patio-plant containers. To name a few:
- Window boxes
- Strawberry pots
- Portable raised beds, as I discuss in Landscaping Small Yards.
