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How to Pave Awkward Gardens

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Now it’s time for every landscaper’s least favourite question…how on earth do you pave an awkward garden? In many online tutorials and landscaping projects, the presenters complete the job on a wide, flat, and perfectly square site. As we all know, this is rarely the case when it comes to paving your own garden.

But rather than seeing an awkward garden as a hindrance, you should see it as an opportunity. Unusual gardens give you the chance to get creative with the space you have and create a truly unique design in the process. In today’s article, we’re going to share a few ideas that will help turn your conundrum into the complete garden that you’ve always wanted.

Make the Most of Different Layers

Some of the larger homes in the United Kingdom are presented with a pretty unique challenge – a sloping garden. How do you put flat, even paving on something that’s naturally rounded?

The key to this garden is to create different levels. Each of these levels will have a dedicated purpose, and it’ll add a nice feeling of order to your back garden. The first and most important level could be an outdoor dining area or patio. It might be a short space, but you could lay some modern porcelain pavers or even natural limestone.

Don’t attempt to pave over the natural shape of a sloped garden. Instead, identify the next two levels that you’d like to create a focal point with. Halfway down the slope, you could lay a flat area of paving to install a water feature or another seating arrangement. Build steps down to the next level, and build another small but flat and usable arrangement.

If there’s space, there might even be an opportunity to create a final flat area at the bottom of the slope. Here, the priority might be functionality over finesse, and it would make a great platform for your compost, or the garden shed.

Box Clever with L-Shaped Gardens

L-shaped gardens are extremely frustrating, and it’s almost impossible to get the perfect solution that uses every inch of space. Instead of tearing your hair out with countless different L-shaped designs, why not sacrifice the smallest leg of the ‘L’ shape and use it for something beneficial?

Concentrate on the larger area of your garden, and re-imagine it as a standalone square or rectangle garden. This gives you a much kinder landscaping frame to work with.

As for the narrow ‘L’ shape? Use it for something practical. Store your bins here, out of sight, and completely hidden. You could also build the garden shed here but, either way, you’ll create a much more relaxing focal point in your garden when you focus on the larger, straighter garden shape instead. That goes for your paving too – use cheaper concrete in the hidden space and your showpiece paving in the priority area of the garden.

Zone Out in the Long and Narrow Garden

Similar to L-shaped gardens, what about long and narrow gardens that are severely lacking in width? These can still be made into fascinating finished products, and the trick is to separate the garden into distinct zones.

Rather than making the space feel even tighter and more restrictive, use visual tricks to open it up. Try to keep the central walkway free, and use the spaces at the side instead. Another idea is to use different paving platforms mixed with areas of garden, lawn, or aggregates. Contrasting floors add depth to the garden, and you’ll still have tons of practical pieces of furniture at the edges.

Curves and Angles

Are you considering paving your whole garden? Are you really going to cut every single slab so that it runs along each curve, corner, and kink of the fence?

Trust us – it isn’t worth the hassle. Not only will this style of paving cost you a fortune, but it’ll also make for a clustered, over-the-top feature where there’s a far simpler solution.

The trick for gardens full of curves and unusual angles is to build a small barrier along those areas until you’re left with a square area to work with. Makes sense, right? You could build a beautiful and elaborate feature in the centre of your garden, creating a sense of space and calm in the centre of a rectangular design. And the best part is, that it’s so much easier.

Plant shrubbery, flowers, and trees between the barrier and the curving fence. That way, you can still make the most of the awkward segments of garden around the edges.

Awkward Corners

Ok, you think you’ve probably got us with this one. After everything we’ve already mentioned, what do you do with a strange, unusable, and awkward-looking corner?

Feature it. It’s as simple as that. Instead of re-doing your whole design to accommodate one awkward corner, build a feature piece or a statement feature that makes the most of the space available. Water features, sandpits, or even sculptures can be used to fill the area and make it extra cosy.

Landscaping Supplies and RF Paving

Our experienced team has looked at so many different shapes, styles, and designs of gardens that they’ll always be able to help you come up with an innovative solution. On top of that, they’re in the perfect place to help you get the best quality paving and the most appropriate parts for your project.

Find some more inspiration online, or visit our trade centre to start fleshing out your ideas. Whether you’re ready or not, our friendly advisors will be able to help you get what you’re looking for.

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