Tips and Tricks for Landscaping Success

Posted on: 26 August 2020

There are many elements you can add to your yard's landscaping to beautify the space and also make it more useful. In addition to trees, vegetation, and lawn, you can add in hardscaping elements, such as stone walkways, walls, and concrete patios to improve the appearance and function of your outdoor living space and gardening area. Here are some recommendations for installing your patio that can help make it attractive and useful within your yard's landscaping.

Prepare a Solid Foundation

One of the most important parts of installing a concrete slab of any type in your yard is to make sure you prepare the soil for the foundation to ensure your patio's support and stability. A good foundation is essential; otherwise, your concrete slab will sink, crack, shift, and become an eyesore in your backyard. 

Be sure you excavate the soil within the area you plan to install your patio to remove the layer of topsoil and expose the foundational soil. If you need to add gravel or sand to supplement your loamy or clay soil, do so to ensure there is good drainage below your concrete slab. Compacting the sand or gravel in place will make it a stable foundation for your concrete patio.

Stain or Stamp the Concrete

Once the concrete has been poured into the forms for your patio, you can finish the surface of the concrete as a smooth, traditional patio surface. However, there are many finishes you can use on your concrete's surface to change its appearance and make it look like a cobblestone surface, for example. You can apply a surface stamp treatment to make the surface look like bricks, mosaic tile, or many other things. You can also stain your concrete to permanently change its color or apply a concrete paint in any pattern you prefer.

Just be sure you prepare the concrete with the right treatments for your stain or other application. And also get a sealer to protect your concrete's color and finish and to prevent staining from other substances your concrete may come into contact with in the future.

Add Vegetation Appropriately

Once you have your patio installed with a surface treatment, you can add vegetation around your patio to keep it a comfortable space in the summer. The heat of the summer sun can soak into your patio surface and make it hot and uncomfortable, but you can plant trees and shrubbery around it to add shade strategically to its surface.

Be sure you don't plant trees and large shrubbery too close to the pavement, because there is a risk that the roots will damage your concrete. Place trees away from the patio but positioned between your patio and the afternoon sun to provide the needed shade.

To learn more, contact a landscaper about concrete patios.