Patio Suggestions, Please

[ChapterTwo]

I have a relatively small area behind my house, which has bricks around it, and nothing but soil and weeds in the middle. My first thought was to put in some sort of pavers, but even though the area is only 7' x 11', when I priced them, it would cost over $300. I can't afford to spend that much on an area that will only be used a few months out of the year.

My next thought is pebbles - I'm not crazy about them being loose back there, but it might be my only option. I want to put an umbrella table and some chairs there and I know it's going to be a little bumpy with the pebbles. Any suggestions? Tnx...:)

[yarborough house]

How about some creeping thyme..it stays relatively low and lets out a great scent when you walk on it.

[ChapterTwo]

It's funny you mentioned creeping thyme, Tammy, as I have some seeds to plant in-between the stepping stones leading to the backyard.

The thyme would look nice, but wouldn't the table and chairs that will be on the patio shade the thyme too much?

[vintage girl]

Well I posted just now about possibly using pea gravel, but my hubs just told me that is a nightmare and never really sets up well. Are you sure about the price of the paving stones. We can get the 1 foot square stones here for about a $1 or so and according to your measurements, you would only need 77 square feet. But that still comes to over a $100, so it sill might not be cost effective. Or maybe you could check your local craigslist and see if anyone has any pavers for sale or sometimes they even give them away if someone is willing to pick them up. I think the thyme sounds lovely though if that would work. Good luck and let us know what you decide:)

[shabbychick]

I have pea gravel in my container garden bed. It's lovely but a bit of an ankle-twister when I have to step into the bed for some reason. I don't know that I'd want to walk on it barefoot to get to the patio table, either. I often see pavers on sale at Home Depot for less than a dollar apiece.

I had a stack of not-too-attractive concrete pavers that I gave away to someone through my local freecycle program. They came to pick them up. If you belong to a freecycle (or can join one) you may be able to ask if someone has any to get rid of.

I don't know if it's any more cost-effective, but some of the catalogs I occasionally get have these rubber (maybe not rubber, but some not-concrete material) pretend pavers that fit together like a puzzle and make an instant patio. You might be able to put down something like that wherever you are going to put the table and chairs just to provide some stability then plant the creeping thyme or some other little plant in the rest of the space.

[mac78]

I too have a spot, approx 8 x 10, between the patio and the shed, and the grass always looks terrible and clumpy. I would like to take off the top layer of clumpy grass, and do something with it. We do have a patio that is about 12 x 16, but with the grill, slider swing, and patio table, it is very tight. So I would like to expand my space out a little. I have thought about landscape timbers on the 2 edges, and put down a layer of lawn fabric then mulch, have thought about pea gravel, and that is all I have came up with. I am looking for something cheap and easy. We only use the backyard May thru September mostly. When I do things, I have to remember very little $$$ and I will be doing most of the work.

Something I have thought about too is building a portable "deck", only about 6 x 8, just big enought for the patio table or a couple chairs. I could set the portable deck on top of the grass. (I would put lawn fabric underneath or something for the weed control)

[mac78]

http://poolandpatio.about.com/od/patiosouterspaces/ig/Patio-Design-Ideas/Mulch-and-Gravel.htm

http://www.fotosearch.com/CSP196/k1960159/
http://www.fotosearch.com/CSP009/k0092742/

Didn't someone on here last year post pictures of their patio, maybe out of much or pea gravel? I remember it was really nice.

[ChapterTwo]

I had put white gravel on the center dirt section of my driveway one time, and it was a nightmare, so that's why I hesitated to do gravel again. Well, that area was especially bad because when we shoveled snow, and then it melted, I'd find white gravel all over the place, because we shoveled it up with the snow! :o

Thanks, Tammy and vintage girl and shabbychick for the suggestions. Here is what I was looking at (but in a grey beige, not red):

http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Materials-Concrete-Cement-Masonry-Forming-Products-Pavers-Step-Stones/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgfZarm0/R-202021844/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

...and I see that type is a lot more expensive than the plain pavers you mentioned, 12" x 12" (which cost $1.48 here, at Home Depot). Still a savings over the ones, above.

I do belong to the local Freecycle, so I'll check on that first as you mentioned, shabbychick.

Thanks, all, for talking it over with me! :)

[chyna]

You could always stain/paint the pavers (the plain ones) and make them look more expensive if that would help you out. Better Homes & Gardens had an article about a couple who made a patio in front of the their house that every so many feet or so they would plant herbs or something. so you would not lay pavers in those areas. Or you could just put the pavers in the center and surround with pea gravel, rubber mulch (which is pretty cool stuff, I have mine in the pool area) or regular bark mulch. The plus on the mulch is that you could plant that creeping thyme.:)

[ChapterTwo]

who made a patio in front of the their house that every so many feet or so they would plant herbs or something. so you would not lay pavers in those areas.

The problem with that is that I am going to put a little umbrella table and chairs on the patio, and the legs would go into the places where there are no pavers, making them all lopsided.

But chyna, I am determined to plant that creeping thyme! It's going to go between the stepping stones that lead to the backyard, alongside the house.
Tnx for the suggestion!

[ChapterTwo]

I think I'm going to go with the patio blocks so thank you, one and all, for your suggestions.

Okay, here is yet another problem with the backyard. There is a huge stump of a tree (I don't know what kind it is) and there are a zillion suckers shooting out of it.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this somewhere before, but I tried to do battle with those things this weekend and THEY WON! They are stiff as porcupine quills, but thicker, and clippers can't handle them. They are UGLY!!! I don't have loppers, but I really don't relish the idea of cutting these things all summer. I want to research to see if there's anything I can pour on them that will get rid of them (which, I guess, would be just temporary). I was thinking about hot vinegar water. lol Any and all ideas are welcome!

[mac78]

There is a guy in our town that has a driller thingy that he will remove tree stumps for a reasonable price.

[ChapterTwo]

There is a guy in our town that has a driller thingy that he will remove tree stumps for a reasonable price.


Please send him over. :D

[yarborough house]

Drill holes in the stump top then pour salt in them. It will kill the stump thus also kill the suckers.

[ChapterTwo]

Drill holes in the stump top then pour salt in them. It will kill the stump thus also kill the suckers.


Has that worked for you, Tammy? The stump is sooooo huge; that's part of the problem. And the yard is small, so this is taking up a lot of space and looking ugly!:rolleyes: