6 Tips For Choosing Landscaping Materials
Summary
Choosing the right garden landscaping materials means considering more than how they look in a photograph. Seeing paving, decking and other products in person allows you to compare colours, textures and scale, see how different materials work together and check how they complement your property. A showroom visit can also help you explore larger features such as pergolas and outdoor kitchens before making them part of your garden design.
Key Takeaways
- See materials in person: Colours, textures and natural variations can look very different from photographs or small samples.
- Compare samples with your home: Paving and decking should complement your property’s brickwork, render and other exterior finishes.
- Look at materials together: Comparing paving, decking and other finishes side by side helps create a more cohesive garden.
- Consider size and scale: Full-size displays make it easier to picture how paving, particularly large-format slabs, will look across a larger area.
- Compare your paving options: Porcelain, natural stone and clay pavers each offer a different appearance and finish.
- Think about the whole garden: Pergolas, outdoor kitchens and other features should be considered alongside your landscaping materials so everything works together.
Choosing materials is one of the most important parts of planning a new garden. Paving, decking and other hard landscaping materials cover a large part of the finished space, so getting the colour, texture and proportions right can make a huge difference to the overall design.
As there is a lot involved in choosing the right garden landscaping materials, you need to make sure you get it right. This can be difficult to do when looking at photographs online or viewing small samples alone. This is why we regularly encourage our clients to visit the London Stone showroom in Altrincham, where they can see and compare a wide range of landscaping materials before making their final choices.
In the video below, David Hadley, owner of Creative Gardens & Driveways, takes a walk around the showroom and explains how we use the facility with our clients. We’ll also explore how to choose the right garden landscaping materials, from comparing colours and textures to considering how paving, decking and other features will work together within the finished garden.
The Benefits of Seeing Landscaping Materials in Person
We can show clients paving samples, photographs and examples from gardens we have previously completed, such as through our gallery or projects page, but nothing quite compares with seeing the material for yourself.
There are some details you simply cannot fully appreciate through a screen. Visiting a showroom allows you to compare your options properly and consider how different materials could work within your finished garden, including:
1) See the Colour & Texture Up Close
A paving stone viewed on a computer or phone screen may look slightly different when you see it outside, which can influence your decision and prevent you from making the absolute best choice for your garden. For example, natural stone can have variations running through it that aren’t always obvious from a photograph and will impact how your finished patio or paved area looks.
As well as the colour of your garden landscaping materials, texture matters too. You may love the appearance of a particular paving product but prefer the feel of another once you have actually walked across it or handled a full-size slab.
Visiting a showroom gives you the chance to compare those details before the material becomes a permanent part of your garden.
2) See How Materials Work With Your Home
Visiting the London Stone showroom not only means you can look at the paving samples in person, but you may also be able to take them home to compare with your current landscaping and property style. This is extremely beneficial when considering a garden renovation, such as a new patio or complete garden redesign.
By taking the sample home with you, you can compare it to what’s already around and determine whether it is a good fit. Holding a sample alongside the brickwork, render, doors or other finishes on your house gives you a much better idea of whether the colours work together.
At Creative Gardens & Driveways, we choose paving as part of the wider garden design. We look at how different garden landscaping materials will suit your home, complement the surrounding space and work with any other materials being used throughout the garden. This is easier to do when you have access to samples and can compare them in person to the intended surroundings.
To learn more about our garden design process, see our post A Step-by-Step Guide To The Garden Design Process.
3) Choose Materials That Work Together
Most garden renovations contain more than one hard landscaping material. For example, we may use paving and decking together to create separate seating, dining or entertaining areas. You can see this in our Marple Bridge garden design, where a paved seating area and Millboard decking were used to create two distinct spaces within the garden.
When different materials sit alongside each other, we need to consider how their colours and textures work together.
Having samples of both in front of you makes that process much easier. Rather than trying to imagine whether a particular decking board will complement a porcelain or natural stone paving product, you can put the two together in person and see for yourself.
This is a simple part of the design process, but one that can prevent expensive changes of mind later.
To learn more, see our post How To Combine Garden Design With Hardscaping: A Guide For Cheshire Gardens.
4) See Paving at Full Scale
While small paving samples are great for comparing colours and finishes, it can still be difficult to picture how the paving will look across a whole patio or larger area. At the London Stone showroom, you can see porcelain, natural stone and clay paving laid across much larger areas, giving you a better feel for how each option could look in your own garden.
The showroom also has larger-format paving on display, which is particularly useful when considering oversized slabs. We’ve used large-format paving on a number of our projects, including our Bramhall garden transformation, where sawn paving was used across the main seating and dining areas.
Large-format paving can create a striking contemporary finish, but the size of the slabs can change how the whole space feels. Seeing them laid at full scale makes it much easier to understand their proportions and decide whether they’re right for your garden.
5) Compare Garden Landscaping Materials Side by Side
There isn’t one garden landscaping material that works right in every outdoor space. Instead, the right choice for your garden will vary depending on the property, the garden design style we’re trying to create and how the space is going to be used.
At the London Stone showroom, clients can compare options including porcelain paving, natural stone and clay pavers, as well as different colours, formats and finishes.
At Creative Gardens & Driveways, we work with London Stone alongside other established manufacturers and suppliers to give our clients a wide choice of quality garden landscaping materials. Rather than choosing a product simply because it’s popular, we focus on finding the right material for each individual project.
To learn more about garden design styles and which is best for you, see our post How to Choose the Right Garden Design Style for Your Cheshire Home.
6) See the Wider Garden Come Together
For a larger garden transformation, there are often several features and materials to consider at the same time. Seeing paving, decking and outdoor living products together can make it much easier to picture how they could work within the finished garden.
The London Stone showroom in Altrincham has decking, pergolas and a range of outdoor living products on display, so you can see everything needed for your garden transformation in person and make the best decision for your outdoor space.
Along with garden landscaping materials, the showroom also displays a Grillo Outdoor Kitchen, which we supply and install at Creative Gardens & Driveways. Visiting the showroom gives you the chance to see the quality and finishes up close, while also getting a better sense of the size and proportions.
This can be particularly useful when planning an outdoor kitchen as part of a new patio or entertaining area. Seeing one fully assembled helps you understand how much space it will take up and how it could sit alongside the other features and materials within your garden.
To learn more about outdoor living, see our post The Ultimate Guide to Outdoor Living Spaces.
How We Help You Choose the Right Garden Landscaping Materials
Choosing from so many paving styles, colours and finishes can feel like a lot, especially when you’re also thinking about decking, planting and other features within a new garden. This is where working with an experienced garden designer can make the process much easier.
At Creative Gardens & Driveways, we’ll help you narrow down the options based on your property, the style of garden you want to create and how you plan to use the space. Where useful, we can also arrange a visit to the London Stone showroom in Altrincham so you can see different materials at full scale and compare your options in person.
By making these decisions as part of the wider garden design process, we can ensure the paving, decking and other features work well together before installation begins.
Conclusion
You don’t need to have every material picked out before you start planning your new garden. We’ll help you explore the options and choose paving, decking and other materials that suit your home and the garden you want to create. Our team can take you through the options, recommend materials that suit your property and garden design, and arrange for you to see products in person where appropriate.
Whether you’re considering a new patio or a complete garden transformation incorporating paving, decking, planting, a pergola or an outdoor kitchen, our team is here to help.
Contact Us Today
Contact the team today to book your consultation or to learn more about our services.
FAQs
What are the best landscaping materials for my garden?
The best garden landscaping materials depend on your property, the style of garden you want and how you plan to use the space. Porcelain, natural stone, clay pavers and decking all offer different finishes, so materials should be chosen as part of the wider garden design rather than in isolation.
Why should I visit the London Stone showroom before choosing garden materials?
Visiting the London Stone showroom allows you to see paving, decking and other garden products at full scale rather than relying on photographs or small samples. You can compare colours and textures in person, see how different materials work together and get a much better idea of their proportions before making your final choices.
Can you mix different landscaping materials in one garden?
Yes, combining materials such as paving, decking, gravel or clay pavers can help define different areas and add interest to the garden. The key is choosing colours, textures and proportions that complement one another so the finished space feels cohesive rather than disconnected.
