What is the best paving for a Mediterranean garden?

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The Mediterranean garden style is one which has become so popular with so many people.

Seeing we use our gardens when the weather is good this style actually makes a lot of sense. With the milder temperatures experienced over the past two decades why not put it to good use?

Many Mediterranean plants will actually grow happily within cooler climates. Mediterranean gardens also have a rustic charm which is always extremely appealing!

This is a consideration when creating a Mediterranean garden patio. The question is, what is the best paving for a Mediterranean garden?

​In this article I will list some considerations and ideas around the Mediterranean style patio. I will also list 6 types of paving I think work best for Mediterranean garden patios. 

Traditional Mediterranean garden paving

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At the conception stage many Mediterranean gardens prefer to go for a traditional look.  Historically, Mediterranean communities were always very resourceful with an artistic eye.

This led to attractive natural stonework with a focus on contextual materials. Therefore, many traditional Mediterranean patios consist of fragmented stone and crazy paving.

​There is also a focus on using small paving units such as sets and blocks. 
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Modern Mediterranean garden paving

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Many new Mediterranean gardens have tried to refine the traditional style.

Contemporary Mediterranean schemes like to use very clean and bold paving as a contrast to more rustic elements. In such gardens it is common to see porcelain tiles contrasting rocks, gravels and dry stone walls.

​Consequently, the best paving for a Mediterranean garden is up to your specific taste and design. This is particularly so for more contemporary style gardens.
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Mixing paving with gravels

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A very common occurrence with Mediterranean gardens is an absence of lawns. This means such gardens need to have a greater reliance on other surfaces to create usable space.

One of the most common is loose gravels. The great thing about gravel is it can be utilised as a mulch and walking surface. This gives it the opportunity to blur the lines between paving and planting.

​Therefore inter-dispersing gravel and paving is very typical with Mediterranean garden patios. 
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Using warm colours

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It is amazing how visually colours can change your mood and enhance feelings. This is even more so outside in nature.

If there is one sensation a Mediterranean garden should transmit it is warmth! This is why Mediterranean garden paving should consist of warm and light colours.

Natural stone is always best as its colours do not fade over time. Consequently I think the best paving material for Mediterranean gardens is sandstone.   
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6 paving choices for Mediterranean gardens  

Terracotta tiles

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If you really want to create a traditional, Mediterranean patio, terracotta tiles are an excellent choice.

These do look better with some sort or border as too large an area can become monotonous. If you are laying thin tiles make sure they are anti-slip and durable enough to take external conditions.

​It is advised that all external tiles should be laid onto a robust and level concrete base. If you are on a budget you can use terracotta concrete paint to re-vamp old pavers. 
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Crazy paving 

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Crazy paving is something which is normally frowned upon now days. However, if it is laid well with good quality materials and pointing it can look amazing.

If you visit the Mediterranean you will typically see a lot of crazy paving using natural stone. This can look very effective and pleasantly rustic.

You could enquire to paving suppliers to see if you could acquire some broken paving! 
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Sandstone

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Sandstone is well known for its durability and attractive light colouration. Many types of Indian sandstone on the market now come in a wide range of colour tones.

Some of these include yellows, oranges, pinks and mauves, such colours are the best for Mediterranean style patios.

This warm coloured paving can also be used to clad raised beds and retaining structures. 
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Setts

​Setts now come in a wide variety of shapes, products and materials. These cubes of natural stone are typically durable and hard wearing.

However, setts are expensive and quite labour intensive to install. It has to be said that well laid sets on a strong base can last for centuries.

The sand stone setts below make up a street in Chania, Crete, Greece
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Cobble effect block paving

​Many block paving manufacturers produce the standard three sizes of rectangular block paving. These come under a number of different names but have a 'cobble effect'.

​This can actually be an effective paving surface for Mediterranean gardens. The block pavers look even more Mediterranean with a terracotta border of tiles or even a brick on edge. 

Bricks

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Bricks are not the most common material for paving large areas but look extremely effective. This is especially so if you use decorative clay bricks with varying colour tones.

These can create attractive visual textures over a patio area. However, paving areas with bricks like setts is more labour intensive and expensive. 
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If you require Mediterranean garden landscaping please do not hesitate to contact us.

​We have experience in all aspects of Mediterranean garden construction including paving, dry stone walling and planting.  

Contact us

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