It’s landscaping season and it’s time to make progress on a gorgeous new outdoor living space! As you move forward with your landscape renovations in Harrisburg, PA, consider that one of the best ways you can improve your backyard is through the careful selection of patio pavers. By paying attention to color schemes, accents and borders, and filling materials, you can begin a stunning beautification of your overall landscape. You’ll also want to decide on the perfect pattern—here are six to consider.

Related: HOW A MASONRY SUPPLY CAN HELP SELECT THE PATIO PAVERS TO USE IN YOUR NEXT LANCASTER, PA, PROJECT

A Tasteful Border

A very common stone used in landscapes in Pennsylvania is the native bluestone, which helps landscapes feel grounded in their surroundings. Patios made from natural bluestone or concrete pavers inspired by bluestone can make gorgeous additions to any home, whether it’s rustic or contemporary. You can use smaller brick pavers for more rustic homes and large-format, minimalist pavers for more contemporary homes. Then, provide a visual boundary around your patio and walkways by contrasting the steely blues and grays with a beautiful red brick border.

A Chess Board Patio

Create a visually striking patio with bold patterns. Perhaps nothing is more visually striking than two contrasting colors, namely black and white—the most dramatic contrasts of all. You don’t need to choose such striking colors, but consider two colors that fall into a color scheme that’s right for your landscape. Then, use large format pavers to create an eye-catching patio with some grand visual texture.

Alternating Bands

Take the idea of contrasting colors from a patio, but get a little more creative with the shapes and sizes of pavers. You can create alternating bands between square large-format pavers and smaller rectangular pavers in two different colors. Lay them side by side to make creative patterns in modern outdoor living spaces. For a more subtle yet interesting look, use the same pavers in different sizes and bring the focus to the sizes and layouts rather than colors.

Encircling Fire

A fire pit, fire table, or outdoor fireplace present a wonderful opportunity to encircle the feature with patio pavers. You can “trace” around the fire pit in a circle or whatever shape the fire feature makes. This technique will define the space and add visual interest within your outdoor living space.

Natural Interruptions

While defining spaces within your patio, consider breaking up the patterns occasionally to create specific zones. You can use masonry planters or even changes in materials to create natural interruptions between various areas. It’s a fun way to encourage people to make the most use of your spaces, such as around your fire pit, in a seating area, or near your outdoor kitchen.

Think Outside the Box

If you’re planning on an open format patio featuring rustic natural stone or large-format pavers, consider using a different kind of filler. Many paver patios use jointing sand, which is used to tightly pack the pavers into place. Polymeric sand hardens into a concrete-like substance that helps prevent weed growth, but some would say it’s lacking in visual interest. Pea gravel could be a suitable alternative: It adds texture and allows for permeability, or the ability to direct water to seep into the gaps between pavers.

Related: SELECTING THE RIGHT PAVERS TO GO WITH AN EXISTING LANDSCAPE DESIGN NEAR HARRISBURG AND YORK, PA

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