You’ve chosen to use Woodblocx for a retaining wall, a raised bed or any of the other options available to you, but how about the rest of your space? A popular option is to pair your WoodBlocX retaining wall or raised bed with a patio area. A well-suited patio can bring your whole project together and by making every attempt to match your choice of slab with your WoodBlocX feature, you can create a cohesive, seamless space that feels even more professional than it already is!

Picking any old patio slab will do a job, but if you want to make sure the design is as good as it can be, take a bit of time to ensure you select the perfect slab and install it in a pre-planned design. Ensure you’ve considered the material your slab is made from, the colour of the slab and the pattern you have chosen to lay the slabs in. Each one of these options will alter the appearance and finish of your space, so it’s important you opt for something that’s going to tie in with the rest of the space.

Matching the Material with your WoodBlocX

There are now more material options than ever, so it can be difficult to know what to go with. WoodBlocX are a versatile product so can be used in a wide variety of design styles, but most of the time they are used when trying to create a natural/traditional space. Contemporary gardens often use open spaces which focus in singular features such as a sculpture, or a solo standing plant, which isn’t usually suited to a raised bed with lots of plants. Therefore, a project which uses WoodBlocX will often need to pay tribute to a traditional style.

Patio slabs which best match a traditional space are going to a be naturally occurring stone rather than a cast concrete or porcelain slab. These natural options can include a sandstone, limestone or a slate paving slab. However, a natural sandstone such as these Fossil Mint paving slabs from Primethorpe Paving are an example of something that may work well. The natural colours, patterns and textures of a natural sandstone will complement a traditional style garden with ease. When designing an outdoor space, it’s important no individual elements distract the eye, so you need to ensure the choice of slab is in keeping with the everything else.

Matching the Colour with your WoodBlocX

The next design element to concentrate on with your paving slabs is the actual colour of the material. Here you can stamp your mark on the space and add as much or as little colour as you see fit. If you stick with natural stone, you have a huge variety of options and you can’t really go wrong. There are two avenues you can go down:

Complimentary Colours – You can choose paving slabs that are going to match their surrounding colours as closely as possible. By choosing slabs which match the wooden colours of WoodBlocX, you can create a space that flows from area to area with absolutely no visual distractions. This is nice when you want the space to flow as one cohesive area with no areas that standout as a separate space. This is the most common option and likely the best choice to compliment your WoodBlocX feature. The aforementioned fossil mint sandstone is a great option if you are proceeding down this route.

Contrasting Colours – An alternative option is to create a patio space with contrasting colours to its surroundings. The goal here is to isolate an area of your garden and highlight it as a separate entity. People use contrasting colours when they want to highlight the patio area as a separate space from the rest of the garden. This is often the case when designers are trying to create a special seating area, or perhaps a BBQ or entertaining space. However, while you may be using contrasting colours, it’s important not to stray too far from the natural and opt for something like a porcelain tile for the sake of contrast. You still need to choose slabs that complement the design style you are trying to create – so if you are trying to create a traditional space, whilst contrasting colours can work, the style still needs to feel natural. A great way to create a contrast to the Woodblocx colours is to opt for a natural grey slab such as these Kandla Grey sandstone paving slabs - the colours will highlight your patio area without detracting from your design goals by seeming unnatural.

Matching the Pattern with your WoodBlocX

The final decision is to choose what pattern you are going to lay your slabs in. There are 3 options, all of which are suitable, so this decision is purely down to personal preference:

Random pattern – by using a mixture of sizes that fit together, you can create an effortless, natural effect with less planning than you may think. This pattern is a great option if you want to create a space that flows naturally with no distractions.

‘Stretcher course’ pattern – an alternative pattern is the lay this in straight lines running parallel to the WoodBlocX. When creating a natural look, it is more common to go with random, but because of the straight lines created with your WoodBlocX, this will also work well.

Herringbone pattern – this is the least common option, but it creates a unique effect for a patio area. This will probably work best if you are attempting to create a contrasting area as it will really standout as a unique space. Thanks to the straight lines created by the WoodBlocX, patterns that are laid in straight lines work just fine.

In conclusion

There are so many options to consider when trying to compliment your choice to use Woodblocx. Overall, a natural finish is going to be the ideal partnership with your WoodBlocX raised beds or retaining walls. A long bed of plants is very rarely used in a modern space, so sticking with traditional, natural stones is going to give the best finish.

However, the beauty of garden design is there are no right or wrong answers. We have given our opinions and recommendations, but you can absolutely ignore it all! IF you think something will work, or will look good, then we implore you to go for it. It’s your garden and your unique space – you should go with what you think will work best.

www.primethorpepaving.co.uk