We have a patio done with concrete pavers that is surrounded with a natural stone wall, and we like the contrast of the smooth finish and regular pattern with the randomness and roughness of the natural stone. Doing all stone, especially all random stone, requires some design expertise to avoid looking like a mish-mash, for example, a well defined edge to the patio. If you are determined to use natural stone I would still suggest square cut stones for a more regular look - not that I've seen a picture, thus making assumptions about your stone. You can get all sizes of slab - 24x24, 12x18, 12x12, what have you - in either cut stone or concrete. In my climate I can lay such stones directly on dirt or on a base of sand. As long as it's well compacted we get little heave or sinkage - depends on your ground and climate. You may need a better base (gravel?) but probably no need to mortar in any case. KarinL

In most cases I don't like mixed material, unless one is just an accent in the other. So a few bricks making a design in concrete, or flag stone inserted in a stone patio. But one material should be very dominate. It also looks better if the two material are used in different areas - two parts of the garden could have different hardscape to differentiate the areas. Although I think that in most cases one type of hardscape would look better. Stone or flag with gravel in a pathway looks OK, but to me is very impractical. Who wants to walk of gravel sitting on flag? Gravel just does not seem to stay put. Mixing material may also connect two areas. For example on my square stone patio we plan to insert a few flag to connect to a flag pathway leading away from the patio into a shade garden. It also connects to some armor stones (big gray stones) used to hide the underside of a sun room. I also use a lot of rock in the garden next to the patio. the hope is that it will connect the more formal, square sun room to the very informal, organically shaped garden areas. The front of my house has a black top (asphalt) driveway (very dominent). At the house end it is bordered by stone pavers, which then leads to a stone step, and a concrete front porch, which is attached to the brick house. The pavers bordering the driveway looks OK - it gives the asphalt some class (if that is possible). The rest does nothing for the house. Just too many types of hardscape.

This strikes me as a situation where less is more. This is a small house, small yard, and it has no topography that provides a clear reason for adding hardscape. The house is cute and well-finished, and it fills the lot nicely and "connects" to the ground so to speak. There is no excess of open space to fill. I see no reason for adding a bunch of planting. You don't say you're a plant collector; you don't tell us that privacy is an issue, or blocking traffic noise, or anything like that, except for maybe protecting the grass from the mailman's incursions. Or, perhaps, you want some shade. And you've mentioned the parking. We had an esoteric thread here last week about form and function, and this is an interesting pragmatic case study: you're trying to make decisions in the absence of significant functions. So I would begin by considering the functions that you do have; the ones that you do value. Maybe that would lead you to make a branch on the pathway to accommodate cross-property traffic. Maybe you'd plant a shade tree, either out on your hellstrip if you have one, or in the left front corner of your lawn. Maybe you'd take out most of the foundation planting. To be honest, bulbs and other plants with a significant ugly season just don't work as landscaping plants for me in any case. The next place you might look is to emphasizing the good features of the property. I'd be inclined to echo the curve of the walkway with something somewhere - a planting bed beside it, a boxwood hedge, a bed along the driveway, or a course of bricks alongside (that could maybe merge to the postie walkway). You've actually done a nice merge with the shape of your front bed as it meets the walk. The porch is another good feature; I like the idea of containers or some other feature there. It's a nice commodious space even if it is dark compared to the yard itself. And of course attention to the porch makes it obvious why a tree shouldn't be planted on the right; you want to avoid darkening the porch in any way.

I have a small wall made from concrete cast wall blocks. They are the kind the big box stores sell. They have a lip on th lower back side to hold them in place after stacking. If you plan to do it your self, then these are a cheap way to go. The blocks are about $2 to $3 each depending on size and color. Most of the stores that sell them have brochures to help you calculate how many you need. Usually the biggest problem is how to get 100 of 'em in your car trunk! I bought mine at Menards. But even Wal*Mart has 'em. There are also many landscape contractors that will build them for you. If the spot for the wall is fairly flat...it's easy to do them. However, the prep work for the wall is very important as the blocks can sink in soft soil and make the wall uneven...ask me how I know this...:-) Most of my projects follow Murphy's Law..."Never enough time to do it right, but plenty of time to do it over". Pete in IF