Merging Patio Pavers Into the Surrounding Natural Landscape in York, PA

Date

While a patio is an extension of your home, it’s also an important transitional area between the home and the landscape. Here are some tips for merging patio pavers into the surrounding natural landscape in York, PA.

\"Merging

While a patio is an extension of your home, it’s also an important transitional area between the home and the landscape. Here are some tips for merging patio pavers into the surrounding natural landscape in York, PA.

1. Take Color Cues from Nature

What are the primary colors of your landscape? Is the landscape primarily lawn, or will the patio be positioned in or near dense stands of evergreen trees or deciduous trees? 

While light-colored pavers will make a space feel larger, this effect can clash with the surrounding vegetation. A light-grey or buff patio, for example, can be too much of a contrast and can look out of place in a forested lot. A good solution for a heavily treed lot is to match or complement the colors of the tree trunks surrounding the patio. If the yard is mostly lawn, choose patio pavers that complement the siding or roof color of the home.

You can also match or complement any exposed natural stone on the property, such as slate or granite, with similar pavers. Whether you choose natural stone pavers or manufactured stone (concrete) pavers, you can pick up the dominant colors of the landscape to make the patio fit right in.

2. Let Nature Dictate the Shapes

A square or rectangular patio can look out of place on a sloped lot with undulating curves. Mirror these curves to make the patio blend seamlessly into its surroundings. Curves also serve to soften the visual impact of a large patio. They also make a small patio feel more spacious by drawing the eye along the contours instead of highlighting the boundary between the patio and the landscape.

A low seating wall along the perimeter of the patio is a great opportunity to highlight the patio’s shape as well as create a clear boundary between hardscape and landscape.

3. Use the Right Size Pavers and the Right Laying Patterns

Consider the visual impact of various sizes of pavers. There is no right or wrong here, just personal preference. Smaller pavers, especially when laid in predictable patterns such as herringbone, will create a heavily textured patio that can look amazing in a landscape with an abundance of trees, shrubs, and flowers. This same patio could feel too busy in an exposed patio that transitions from home to lawn. Larger pavers can make a space feel larger, which makes them great for both exposed patios and for patios enclosed by vegetation. In the latter case, larger pavers create a more open feeling even within an enclosed space.

Laying patterns are an opportunity to give a nod to the home’s architecture (predictable and linear), or a nod to nature (random and carefree). You can achieve an integrated look with random laying patterns such as ashlar, which beautifully marries the linear nature of a home with the randomness of nature.

4. Create a Natural Transition

Patios can look awkward if they just end right up against an expanse of lawn. You can soften the look by creating a transition using a flower bed or shrubs.

Related: HOW TO CHOOSE HEALTHY PERENNIALS AT YOUR YORK, PA, PLANT NURSERY

5. Incorporate Trees

For a wonderful “treehouse” effect, incorporate a tree or two into the patio. This works especially well with mature trees that offer instant shade and maybe even a place for a swing. 

These tips can help you create a patio that simultaneously feels like part of the home and part of the landscape. 

Related: 8 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING PATIO PAVERS FOR YOUR NEXT PROJECT IN LANCASTER, PA

Image Source: Unilock

More
articles