FINDING THE RIGHT MATERIAL
Renowned garden designer Butter Wakefield offers the advice you need to make the best choice
BE SYMPATHETIC TO LOCALITY At my garden design studio, we tend to choose a paving material that either directly reflects aspects of the architecture of the house or elements of the interior design. We also like to create pattern within the paving, so we often specify a smaller paving unit, sett or brick to use in conjunction with a larger format. The more interest and pattern we can create in the paving, the more visually pleasing the overall scheme.
WOOD FOR DECKED PATIOS It is worth spending a bit more on hardwood decking, sustainably sourced, as this produces the best and most long-lasting results. We prefer ipe, iroko or teak, in as wide a board as possible, which is usually around 140mm. We tend to specify concealed milled joints; this means the boards slot together side to side, avoiding the need for surface-mounted screws.
BRICK CHOICES We love Belgian Vande Moortel bricks and have created quite a few patio schemes recently using these. The Ancienne Belgique range is a particular favourite as they are the most delightful size, full of character and charm. We also often choose Durlston Driveway and Stableyard cobbles and setts from Allgreen Group to add interest and pattern in paving.
“THE VANDE MOORTEL DARK BRICKS DON’T STAIN OR SHOW MARKINGS FROM LEAF LITTER OR SOIL, AND THERE IS VERY LITTLE IF ANY UPKEEP” BUTTER WAKEFIELD, garden designer
ENVIRONMENTAL OPTIONS Stone sourced and supplied in the UK is certainly more environmentally friendly than a granite sourced and shipped from China, for instance. Allgreen Group produces a wonderful range and is based in the UK.