Patio Design IdeasBuild Your Own Patio with DIY Patio Blocks, Flagstones or PaversMost patio design ideas start with two simple concepts – the area must be well drained, and it must be level.Building a flagstone patio in a poorly drained area on a slope is an invitation to disaster. The whole premise behind building a paver patio or one with patio blocks is to make a low maintenance, flat spot to put a couple of chairs and a table for relaxing and enjoying your rustic or xeric garden. Each extra thing that you add will change the complexity, adding to the challenge. Decide on your level of ambition when determining your patio design ideas. My philosophy is to keep it simple – otherwise known as the KISS principle. Don’t get carried away with too much extra stuff – think of your patio as a showcase for plants and a comfortable place to enjoy them. A flagstone patio has a much more rustic and romantic feel to it. A more formal design would be to use square pavers in a rigid grid pattern or geometric lay out. Your xeric garden style will tell you which patio landscaping is right for you. If your garden beds are oval, round or curved, then a rustic look will fit in cohesively. Garden beds with straight lines, an axis with hedges forming garden rooms will look best with square or rectangular patio blocks. See the slideshow for some more Patio Design Ideas:  Hover your mouse over the photos to get a better view
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Patio design ideas can be simple – a square just outside your back door for a spot to sit and have a quick cup of coffee, or elaborate – multi leveled with stairs between the levels, dramatic changes in materials, or outlined in rock retaining walls. 
Xeriscaping - Landscaping with Less Water
Gardening with a Light Hand on the Land
The focus is on landscaping with easy care drought tolerant plants like Sedum, Sempervivum and thyme and using natural materials to build rock retaining walls and it's easy to see why.
It used to be that once in a while these kinds of plants would come to the fore, and successfully maneuver dry summers, but now it's obvious that these are the most suited to what is becoming the norm.
Interested in learning how to build a patio? See this page for patio design ideas.
Seeing how beautiful these unique landscapes are and how well they perform in challenging conditions will encourage others to find unique plants to use in their own xeric garden.
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