Can't see the photos without logging in. Did you make this album "public"?

One problem with the gravel is that isn't going to be easy for the landlord to get rid of. Have you read the thread about the floating deck? Maybe you can make something similar from scrap lumber?

How bout buying some flagstone or patio blocks and throw them down.

Heidi, I saw the photos easily. Hmmm.

Anyway, I don't think gravel would make for a very inviting outdoor spot.

How about this: With a spade, edge the area you want to think of 'the patio'. Level it off as best you can. Then lay down something like the item below. At 7 dollars a pop, you could buy 36 pieces for $252. This would give you an area of 8 feet square. Place your 8 foot square patio in the middle of your defined space. Then add some top soil, mixed with composted manure (a few bags of each...total about 20 bucks) into the surrounding soil and put in a few shade loving, quick spreading plants. Get a big resin flower planter and put in some great perennials, put that off to the side of the paved square.

Temporary, to be sure. Quck and dirty, yes. But would make a nice spot for a few years.

Patty

Here is a link that might be useful: sample paver

I have seen, in a pricy catalog somewhere, decking squares made of teak. They were roughly 3-4 feet square and were made to create a temporary deck on grass. You could do the same thing with pressure treated lumber. Build 4-8, 3 ft. squares of deck and bolt them together underneath. Very quick to move, but maybe not as quick as the pavers. You would still need to level the area though.

I'm not sure if "gravel" is the poor man's patio stone. I've heard broken concrete is the poor man's flagstone. We have some wide paths here that are flagstone with wood chips in between. I guess they heave, but you can adjust. Also I'll bet you can get some cheapo concrete pavers for free. I just gave away a whole car full from my yard. Check for a freecycle web site in your area, or see if your local paper has a cheapo or free advertising spot. I advertised my old deck and got over 50 calls. Wood would be another option. Also, check and see if there's a concrete recycling place around where you live. Just some ideas. I just put in a pricey brick patio, but if I had to do it again I'd do a low wood deck. Someone here has one, I think it's Karin. I found only this web site for some ideas. Surely there must be something easier.

Here is a link that might be useful: wood deck designs

Oh, also, I was thinking that if you did use paving squares of some sort, you could leave out a 3x3 foot space (or so) in the center and fill that with gravel and put the fire pit there.

Patty

Thanks so much for all the helpful feedback and ideas, I really appreciate it. I'm pondering them all... :-)

I see no one is in favor of gravel so I will probably scrap that idea. I saw a lot of pictures online where gravel patios looked nice but... if it's not a good idea then it's not a good idea.

I read about the floating deck mentioned but I don't think I can build something like that. Also I checked freecyling but there isn't anything in my area right now... though I did see a pretty big pile of broken paving stones on a cart at home depot that maybe they are planning to throw out... do you think I could use a bunch of broken and non-matching (i.e. different shapes/sizes/ thickness/colors, etc.) stones to do something nice/relatively easy for a beginner?

A few people mentioned 'throwing' down some stones... would I have to put a layer of sand or anything first or could I do something just using using the stones themselves?

Could I fill out the spaces in between individual stones with gravel or wood chips (or sand)... or should I try to dig them in...

Sorry for all the question :-) and thanks again so much for all the advice/feedback. :-)

Heidi

I had a small patio in my backyard made of the 18 inch concrete squares that frankie describes. They were bordered by 2x4's. I had to pull them up earlier this spring (too bad we're not neighbors!) and to my surprise, they were just laid right over the dirt. I had them for three years and it was not a horrible patio to maintain. Grass grew between the cracks, which I pulled or shot with Roundup. Every once and awhile I'd sweep play sand into the cracks. It was not perfectly level, but not horribly unlevel either. Wish I had a photo handy, but I don't know if I can find one easily. The patio was just the right size for a small bistro table, which is what the PO's of my house had on there.

Heidi, If you will only be there for 3 years, you do not own the property and the owner wants something that is easily removed, I say, YES, just plop them down. Level the ground as best as you can first. Sweep gravel or sand or just about anything really between the cracks and you are good to go. You could level the ground and put a layer of sand or gravel down first...just where you plan to put the pavers...not where you plan to plant...but I don't think in this situation the whole prep work of digging down several inches and leveling and tamping and laying down gravel then sand, etc., is actually necessary. In fact, your landlord may not like that at all.

Just throw 'em down.
Patty

Try Craigslist.com if there's no freecycle in your area. I have acquired enough free slate -- and the stonedust to underlay it -- from Freecycle Washington DC to build a 12 X 20 patio in my back yard that way. Also, I got enough free broken concrete chunks from construction companies taking up cement driveways in my area to build 75 feet of curved 2' retaining walls, a flight of four wide steps up a hillside, and several nice walkways. Although the results look great and the cost sure can't be beat, I'm not sure how your landlord would feel about patchwork concrete chunks as a patio surface...

Lynn

How about just getting a nice piece of old used carpet, and placing it carpet side down, so you can see the jute backing material?
You could lay some kind of landscape timbers around the edge of it, drill some holes in them and pin them down. It would be nice and temporary, it would keep the weeds down, it would probably just cost a few dollars, definitely less than $100 if you bought new timbers, and it would eliminate the mud you talked about, and not make the landlord too mad since it could all be removed in an hour or less. You could just throw away the carpet, and re-use the timbers at your new place.
Then you could spend your money on a nice patio set, and if you bought one of those tropical looking ones, you could just pretend it was a jute rug instead of old carpet, no one would know but you.

An easy, inexpensive, yet creative patio idea is to stain the plain ol' grey cement pavers and create a 'visual rug' in your backyard. The link is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunset Magazine Budget Patchwork Patio

...and your landlord has agreed to all of this? It doesn't sound like it.

As a landlord, I would hit the roof about the time that I saw your "easy to remove" project. This is not your property and your project will do absolutely nothing to increase the value of the property -- it only gives the landlord something another mess to deal with.

When you graduate and finally own a property, knock yourself out and do anything you wish. If you were my tenant, you would either remove it or remove yourself -- pronto!

IronBelly

Hello there. I just finished the same type of project as I am also female and a renter. I leveled off the area and then put 4 bags of leveling sand down. Then, I purchased some inexpensive concrete patio squares and placed them in an argyle pattern for visual interest. I purchased 3 bags of dark colored mulch and mulched around the "open" areas between the pavers. For the firepit section I used gravel and a few extra flagstones the previous tennant had left. Looks cute and cost less than 125.00. Good luck! :)