I am a big fan of mixing materials, to too great an extent in the opinion of others here when I've posted photos. We have a paver patio (two types of paver) bordered with a natural rock wall, and we have a flagstone walk bordering other materials.

There are some ground rules for mixing materials. Although I can't always articulate them, I think they are the same as for mixing patterns, colours, and textures indoors. I think it has to do with a balance of harmony and contrast. Certainly the colours have to harmonize on some level, while the materials need to contrast perhaps in terms of piece size or pattern or texture.

For example, brick and flagstone could work. The brick is a small uniformly repeating pattern, so I would use larger pieces of flagstone in a complementary colour with it. Recently someone posted here with a brick house fronted by a paver pathway in a swirly pattern. To my eye those two did not work together as the patterns, both using small units, competed with each other. If you do stamped concrete together with brick, I would not use a brick-like pattern but rather something uniform or a large motif.

Flagstone can follow curves. Here is a picture of a work-in-progress (most of the planting wasn't done, nor was the clean-up, etc) flagstone walk we did that used the shape of the pieces to make curves. Curving can be done by cutting and breaking the pieces to your specifications as well. Around the fountain, the flagstones actually extend under it though this is risky; it might lever the flagstones up and cause breakage, not really recommended.

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Incidentally, this photo also shows an example of a failed hardscape combination - actually at both ends of the flagstone (although others might argue there are more mismatches than that). The walkway that intersects with the flagstone one is made of granite bricks. The bricks might be OK with the flagstone, but the walk itself is too rigidly rectangular to work with the flowing shape of the flagstone walk. We'll probably replace that with flagstone someday (after the other 40,000 things on the to-do list are done). At the other end, the pebbled concrete slabs don't harmonize too well, but we wanted to use them as they have sentimental value and having placed them already when we put the flagstone in... well, they're heavy, and they ain't goin' nowhere.

So, I'd say materials can definitely be mixed, but with some thoughtfulness.

KarinL

Hello, we used Connecticut Bluestone slate pieces laid in an ashlar pattern for our patio with brick as a perimeter and a line down the center to demarcate two outdoor room areas on it. Yes it was $$ but we are very pleased with the result. When the deck was there and then the interim pea gravel we never used the space. Now we are out there on the patio all the time! We have three high brick in the backyard on three sides around the small lawn area. That is where the future garden railroad will be. To see pics of the patio, and our other recent landscape projects, ck out my Picture Trail:

careytearose

Here is a link that might be useful: look at Landscaping Projects 2007, Favourite ROSES We Grow albums

karen1: Thanks for posting the pic of your flagstone pathway. It does have a lovely shape and I'm a great fan of using items with sentimental value and history as well. We have an old St. Francis status we keep under the birch tress we'll be keeping. The curves I'm trying to envision are more for the retaining wall, though. At the local landscaping store we did see some thin veneer which is basically small pieces of flagstone that we are considering.

carytearose: I like your patio and pergola. We are thinking of something similar and in fact saw some samples of the Connecticut Stone--though I thought it was a flagston and not a slate as you've termed it. The salesperson said they cut of the flagstone into different sized squares--but looks like what you used. It's great to see an example of the material and how it mixes in with brick and a pergola. I also like your brick steps as we will have two similarly shaped ones framing the patio doors. Do you find that the Connecticut Stone wears well and is easy to maintain? Does it stain where you have your planters resting on top? What sizes did you use for the pattern? Is you patio curved or angular? If I were to use the bluestone on the patio what would you suggest for my retaining wall?

Retaining walls can be made with curves too. Sorry for misunderstanding your posting - it sounded as though you had a plan for a curved wall already. Our stone wall, shown here in progress again as I don't have a finished photo, curves around the perimeter of the circle in our patio and then flares out at the bottom. Putting this together with the previous photo may give you an idea of the radius - you can achieve whatever curvature you want as long as you use the right size of stone. A look at some books on stone wall construction might help clarify the design capabilities of various materials.

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KarinL

We mixed materials in our retaining wall/paver project...though I've never been happy with the pavers used as edging. We'd planned very low stone retaining walls and ran out of money. Some day I'll do it the way I'd PLANNED. (Someday both kids will be through college!)

The beds are now planted...but you can see the initial "finished" results at my photobucket site. (Linked below.)

melanie

Here is a link that might be useful: The Great Wall of Chapel Hill

karin1: That is a lovely wall. I would like to do something like that only I think it's outside our budget since we just completed a remodel and don't want to continue to over develop for our nieghborhood. We just put in hardwood flooring through the niterior and I never dreamed the cost/sq foot for flagstone would be comparable! My mind is telling me it's probably most prudent at this point to do a stucco retaining wall with a bullnose cap--though I've not ruled out a natural stone wall. It'll all come down to numbers as we more fully definite the scope of this project.