Plant choice and aftercare

Plants are the essential finishing touch for blending hard surfaces with the garden, and ornamental pots of plants also set off seating areas and provide focal points. But...containers do need watering during dry spells, so if you'd prefer to minimise this chore, consider leaving planting spaces within the patio and path too. Plants grown within paving will still need a certain amount of watering in summer, or need to be drought resistant, because most of the surrounding soil is shielded from the rain. They also need to stand up to the extra heat radiated from the paved surfaces.

Create small pockets for mat-forming plants, and larger spaces for taller plants or a planted pool. Evergreens avoid that dismal look in winter, as do seasonal bedding plants that can be replaced once past their best.

Larger plants that tolerate dryish conditions include conifers, heathers and the many silvery-leaved shrubs, perennials and annuals available to gardeners.

Low-growing herbs such as thyme and chamomile are useful paving plants, being evergreen and adapted to dry conditions. They'll take a certain amount of treading and the leaves release a pleasant scent when crushed too. But if you plan to regularly walk across these plants, you won't want bees underfoot too, so choose non-flowering thymes, such as the lemon-scented foliage version.

Bulbs are another excellent choice for spring and summer colour in containers or the ground. Dainty snowdrops, species daffodils and tulips, crocuses and dwarf irises are delightful in compact areas, but look lost in large expanses of paving. Here, the taller, more substantial spring-flowering hybrid tulips and daffodils are more appropriate, along with the summer-flowering Guernsey lily.

You'll find plenty of other ideas at the garden centre, so be sure to visit there regularly to pick promising plants once you've finished the hard work of putting in your patio.