Surface, surface everywhere

In and of their own right, for many of us, surfaces don’t often take precedence when thinking about our gardens but they are a key element of any garden design.

It is the surfaces of the hard landscaping that usually dominate a garden through the winter and set off beautiful planting schemes in the growing and flowering seasons but surfaces are much more than that because the materials used to create that perfect patio or winding pathway carry with them not only functionality but scene-setting, mood enhancing, aesthetic impact that does much of the legwork in hanging a whole garden design together.

Surfaces help define the mood and look of a garden, for instance, if you want a contemporary feel to your garden then smooth, sleek surfaces with sharp edges add that touch of ‘precision’ that many contemporary spaces exhibit. Conversely if you’re longing for a more relaxed cottage garden style then reclaimed brick, cobbles or rivened finishes lend themselves well here.

It’s not just patios and pathway surfaces that we have to think about either; surfaces are everywhere in our garden whether it’s the finish on built in seating or the tops of raised beds, the materials we mulch our borders with or the fillers we use between elements of a garden design, they all add to the whole and thus need to work harmoniously in order to complement the finished product.

Key elements of surfaces to consider

As we've already seen the look and finish of surfaces play key roles in surface decisions but they also have to perform well too, so function is another important part of thinking about surfaces too – whatever we choose it has to be fit for purpose otherwise what’s the point?

Another major factor and key influencer in surface decisions is price so knowing your budget definitely helps here! As much as we sometimes wish it wasn’t so, we do generally get what we pay for and a quality surface often brings with it a substantial price tag. That’s not to say that less pricey substitutions can’t work in a garden design because they definitely can but being aware of the implications of choosing one product over another is something well worth giving careful consideration to before making that final decision.

Each surface material will bring its own characteristics to the garden so as garden designers we'll help our clients weigh them all up - taking the above things into consideration (amongst other things!) - before making recommendations about which surface products to include in our clients’ garden designs.

Key surface areas in a garden design:

Patios & seating areas

Often the most expensive material purchase in a domestic garden design, pavers are the overwhelming material of choice for patios for Blue Daisy clients because of their level laying capabilities and stability. They are durable and come in all materials, shapes, sizes and finishes. There will be a paver that will suit any style of garden, functional requirement and budget.

Paver laying patterns can also make a difference to the feel of your patio - stretcher bond laying patterns (like brickwork) often dominate but random patterns and stacked bond (grid style) can also look good as can angular laying styles. Mixing materials - pavers and bricks for instance can look great - and sometimes can also help reduce costs.

Alternative options might include, for example: bricks, setts, tiles, polished concrete or crushed granite which will also give a stable, level, durable surface suitable for a patio; and decking is also still popular for raised or floating seating areas.

Pathways & fillers

Pathways are less demanding than patios so loose aggregates are viable and popular surface materials here - they are usually cheaper than paving the whole pathway too.

Gravel, chippings and pebbles are popular choices and again they come in all sizes and colours so keeping the harmony of your garden design remains possible.

Bark chippings can also look great in woodland gardens and productive areas - they're cheap and sustainable although they'll also need topping up as they'll naturally decompose over time.

Loose aggregates require good edgings so they don't spill messily into other areas of your garden (see edging, below).

If we've used aggregates on pathways we'll tend to use the same surface materials for fillers too to keep the cohesion of the garden design - coverings for drainaway areas or sometimes utility areas, if they're visible, etc.

Alternative options for pathway surfaces might include bricks, sets, cobbles, tiles, concrete, crushed granite, hoggin, mixed materials, the list can go on….

Edges

Good edges can make a big difference to a garden design's finish. Not only do they look good, they serve a functional purpose too - they might be mowing edges for lawns or keeping loose chippings in pathways or mulches in borders - they can also help knit a design together.

We've used sett edging in the Coventry garden design shown in our main image. The setts add extra detail across a small impromptu seating area next to a children's play area. The edging works as a mowing strip for the lawn, it keeps the rubber play grade bark in check, edges the patio and looks good to boot!

Visible edging surfaces are often decorative and are frequently brick or sets, haunched in for stability. Timber edges are less obvious but can still look aesthetically pleasing and there are plenty of other edging materials out there to explore and experiment with too!

Structures & other vertical surfaces

Structures usually include vertical as well as horizontal surfaces, examples might include pergolas, screens, raised beds, retaining walls, fixed seating, arbours, arches and others.

Boundaries are vertical surfaces not to be ignored either since they provide, in most instances, a backdrop to the rest of the garden and as such become an integral part of the whole.

For things like seating the tactile qualities of a surface come to the fore too. Beautifully honed, silky-smooth wood feels warm and sleek to the touch, for instance, adding extra layers of textural qualities to the overall garden design.

Soft landscape surfaces

People rarely think about their lawns and borders as 'surfaces' but they can be just as important as any other surface in a garden design. Mirror smooth, striped lawns carry with them a certain style and statement that less manicured grass areas fail to and when it comes to functionality different grasses lend themselves to different requirements, for instance, hard wearing grass suits child and dog traffic more than others.

Border mulches can also add aesthetic qualities to a garden design as well as soil improving and weed-surpressing functionality.

Just like every other surface decision the soft landscape surfaces also need to be in keeping with the overall garden design.

We've tried to give you a flavour of some of the key surface elements of a garden design here - we've barely managed to scratch the surface (see what we did there??) of this subject - but we hope that we've sparked your enthusiasm to learn more!