Clarkesville Modern Bluestone Permeable Patio
Last fall we had a client who was renovating her house and also wanted to renovate an unusable area in her yard. The overgrown side yard in the photo below is an area that she envisioned a patio for her family to spend time outside on. The client wanted the patio to fit in with the Modern style of the house remodel. This area of the yard was very wet and overgrown.
We offered ideas to help reduce the water issue by using multiple solutions- a dry river bed, a French drain and a rain garden. Our main designer at Lauren’s Garden Service, Lauren Turner, developed a plan that incorporated a small water feature with a trickling water sound and a fire pit. The patio is large enough to entertain by the fire and have a seated dinner. Lauren also designed a rain garden, dry river bed and French drain to help catch and reduce run off moving through the yard. The client received a 50% reimbursement from Howard County for the rain garden we designed and installed.
This is the soggy side yard before work started.
The whole project started with an empty field, which was excavated.
The basic shape of the patio was laid out. Around it we planted limelight hydrangea, juncus, pink muhley grass, butterfly bush and Upright Japanese Zelkova trees. Cinderblocks were used for the structure of the fire pit.
A matching rain garden was built nearby to collect runoff from the roof and driveway, with a dry riverbed leading down to the tree line. Juncus, amsonia, and pink muhley grass were planted inside the rain garden. 
Cement was used to cover the cinderblocks, and blue stone was laid on top of the fire pit. We finished this project in December so the gardens look sparse. See the photos below of this project 6 months later, in the summer!
The family has been enjoying using this patio!
Click below to get a free estimate for your own patio!
410-461-2535
laurensgardens@gmail.com