A great patio is the ultimate place for outdoor dining, relaxing with drinks, or enjoying your first coffee on a sunny morning. And since you are going to be building or renovating it anyway, you can immediately make a number of more sustainable choices. From the substrate and the amount of greenery to shade and rainwater: this is how you create a sustainable patio that you will enjoy for years to come.
Start with a good plan for your patio
Right, where do you start? Not with reckless abandon. garden paving slabs lay and build, but with a good plan. Where should the patio be located, what are you going to use it for and which furniture do you want to put there? Also take a look at what you already have. Perhaps you can reuse the current bricks or old garden furniture can get a whole new lease of life with a coat of paint. Moreover, you can furnish a covered patio in a really atmospheric way with charity shop finds. And believe it or not: gems regularly crop up among items that people put out on the street too. An old rug, nice pots or something quirky to grow plants in. If you like, create a mood board on Pinterest to see whether all your plans and finds fit together nicely.
Also pay close attention to the position of the sun. A patio in the full midday sun can get pretty hot during a hot summer. Perhaps an existing tree or hedge already provides shade, or there is room for a parasol or canopy. If you especially like sitting outside with your first coffee, a spot with morning sun might be perfect. That way, you aren't just creating a patio anywhere, but an outdoor space that suits the way you really want to use it.
Give rainwater room
Although your patio may become the cosiest spot in the garden, it is unlikely to be the greenest. Not even if you go all out with cool plant pots. One way to approach it more sustainably anyway is to take a close look at what happens to rainwater. Rather than sealing off the ground completely, leave space between the paving slabs or opt for stepping stones, gravel or wooden decking over unpaved ground. When using slabs, make sure that not only the joints, but also the sub-base is permeable to water. Is your patio in the sun for a large part of the day? Then bear in mind that dark paving slabs absorb more heat than light ones and can therefore become quite hot on warm days. If you are going for wooden decking, preferably choose reclaimed wood or new wood with an FSC or PEFC label.
A patio roof for more wonderful outdoor hours
A canopy turns your patio into a space you don't have to pack up at the first sign of rain. Here, too, you can make more sustainable choices. For example, there are canopies made from reclaimed wood or composite incorporating recycled plastic. Be sure to ask probing questions about the material: which part is actually recycled, how long does it last, and can individual components be replaced later? And take a look at the roof at the same time. With a sliding roof or adjustable louvres, you decide for yourself how much sun you let in. In spring and autumn, a little extra sun is simply wonderful, whereas during a heatwave you will probably prefer shade. Electric control makes opening, closing or tilting the roof very easy.
Also think about the rainwater that falls on the canopy. With a water butt you can save it for dry days, but you can also direct the drainage to a flower bed so that the water slowly sinks into the soil.
At Lamella you can bespoke patio canopy create one that suits your garden and the spot where you like to sit. If you would like to know what is possible, you can request a no-obligation quote.
Photo credits: left: Damir K, Pexels; right: Julia M Cameron, Pexels.
