Bobbi, Smith Paints sells stain, dye stain and paint for concrete. They sell large and small batches for the hobbist or professional that can be brushed, wiped or airbrushed. Billie Here is a link that might be useful: Smith Paints

Dear Punamystike, Thanks for the feedback. Yes, the stains that Home Depot offers are will not be uniform, or at least not the semi-transparent ones. I actually did a little more online research last night, and saw some references to using 'acid stain' to color concrete. This is more likely what I will want, because it involves an actual chemical reaction with the concrete, and hence is more 'permanent' in certain regards (although it will fade under UV light). The siliconized acrylic-based stains that Home Depot offers look as if they will actually peel off, and this is definitely not something I want on a rough-surfaced concrete block (instead of a smooth-finished garage floor). The only issue with these acid-stains is that they are highly caustic. Some of the pictures of what people do with these are amazing . . . the building and floorwork look like marble or other exotic mined-limestone. Here is a link that might be useful: Some Concrete Stain Color Samples

thanks for the ideas....I googled my question and one idea was to smear the pavers with "fresh" cow manure and wash it off after a couple of days......mmmmmmmmmm...........I think that might be too "organic" for me!! LOL! I'm wondering if something along the lines of crushed berries, or coffee grounds or tea might work.....I'll look on the garden art forum, too. thanks again, -----lucia

Here are the directions. I wish you could see the pictures of how this looks, but they sent me a color copy, not a link. Since your patio is green, you would probably have to paint it some sort of cement type color to form the 'grout lines' before rolling on the bricks. If you have patience and a steady hand, this is a great cheap fix. Let me know if you do this and how it turns out. Or, if you have any questions. from Cottage Living: for painting old concrete to look like brick. This is the technique I used on my patio that I got from Cottage Living Magazine. They sent me a reprint, since I misplaced the article. I only wish I could post the photos from the article so you could see what she is doing. But here are the written instructions. Let me know if you need any help. You can do it Go Faux it. The plain paving around the 1930's cottage did little to enhance its charm, but tearing out the concrete and laying a brick walkway would have cost thousands. Instead, Claudia mixed a batch of brick colored paint and rolled it right onto the concrete. Initially, she tried stenciling the bricks, but when it looked 'too neat and perfect', she decided to do the job by hand. After painting a 100 foot long path in an afternoon, she was so pleased with the results that she went onto brick her entire driveway. Details: Paint a brick walkway:Gather the goods: 4 inch paint roller, paint tray, custom blended paint 1) Claudia Darr used 1 gallon of Benjamin Moore's MoorGard Low Lustre Latex House Paint (#103-4B) in the following forumla (the paint dealer will know what this means):OY 1x8, RX 5x, BK 1x22, MA 3x, WH1x16, TG 18 2) Clean the area you plan to paint, and let it dry thoroughly 3) Beginning in a corner, use a 4 inch roller to paing " bricks". Make each one about 7 inches long, leaving about 3/4 inch between each brick (to simulate grout line). Stagger adjoining rows so bricks form a wall pattern. Good luck with this and let us know how it turns out. Some tips from me: sweep the area well before you do this. The 4 inch roller is a skinny little roller that I found in the Benjamin more paint store. It came with a roller stick. I attached one of those wooden poles that screwed into the handle of the roller handle. It is the type you would use when you would paint your ceiling. Trust me, you do not want to bend over with the roller for an entire day painting the ground! Experiment on some old newspaper first to get your technique down. And, I first went around the entire outside of the patio laying the 'bricks' out along the edge in the opposite direction that I ran the rest of the bricks in. It makes for a nicer look.