A Beautiful Brick Patio

Homeowners Marta Savic and Dragan Podlesnik had a small backyard with a narrow strip of concrete and some grass (figure A), and the paved area wasn't large enough for entertaining. They wanted a cottage garden and large brick patio, so they enlisted the help of landscape designer Scott Soden of Artscapes. Soden's design expands the patio and places plants between the patio and the house to give the illusion of a larger backyard. He incorporates curves and pathways to the side yards to create a visual flow to balance out the right angles of the house.

In addition to saving hundreds of dollars by using a sand foundation, homeowners can save about $4,000 in labor costs by building the patio themselves. A professional would charge about $5,000 for a large curving brick patio on a sand base, but a do-it-yourselfer can build it for only $1,000. This project is rated a 3 on a difficulty scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (difficult), but it's time-consuming and laborious, taking about three weekends.

Step One: Preparing the Site

Start by removing anything large in the patio site, like an existing patio or deck. To remove concrete, rent a jackhammer for about $78 per day.

Next, outline the shape of the patio using landscapers' spray paint. Dig up any remaining plants or grass within the patio outline. This is a good time to lay any irrigation pipes or wiring for lighting.

Estimate the height of the patio (about 6 inches) by pulling string lines across the length and width of the site. Dig out additional depth, if needed, to make the patio level with the house or steps. Make sure that the site is level and that the string height is consistent.

Place the edging along the outline of the patio and drive 10-inch galvanized spikes through the edging holes and into the ground (figure C).

Step Two: Laying the Brick

Create a stable foundation by filling in your patio site with road-base material, which costs about $34 per cubic yard at landscaping supply stores. Rake it out to about 3 inches thick and level, and wet it down to keep dust at a minimum. Compact it with a vibratory plate compacter, which rents for about $60 per day.

Start laying the brick near the house and work your way out. To make the herringbone design, set the bricks diagonally in an alternating pattern. Work in small segments and leave space around the edge for a border--at least the length of a brick. Use string lines to help keep the bricks lined up as you work. Tap them into place with a rubber mallet for a snug fit.

Continue this process to expand the herringbone pattern over the entire patio site. Check the patio's level periodically. Next, set the bricks for the border. Around the curves, leave some space between bricks to add cut bricks later.

Step Three: Cutting the Bricks

Set the bricks into the gaps along the border (figure G), tapping them into position with a mallet. Then cut bricks into pieces to fill in between the border and the herringbone pattern. Tap them in place and fill all remaining gaps.

Step Four: Filling the Seam

To lock the bricks in place, spread dry sand on top of the bricks. Use a broom to gently work the sand into the joints, sweeping at an angle so you won't dislodge sand from the cracks.

Planting: A Charming Cottage Garden

Soden's goals for the planting plan were to soften the large area of bricks and to counterbalance the red bricks with greenery and textural plants. To create a cottage garden, he chose a mix of flowering plants in deep jewel tones, including some that could be trained to grow like trees for variation in height and form, and some with colorful, feathery foliage to add texture around the patio. These plants include:

• Pink breath of heaven (Coleonema pulchrum), Zones 10-11
• Rose (Rosa sp.) 'Regensberg', Zones 5-9
• Loropetalum chinense 'Plum Delight', Zones 8-9