Garden design, garden planning, garden layout, planting plants and planting schemes

Landscaping with Ravena Sandstone paving

Posted on August 6th, 2009

A recent garden landscaping project completed in Blackrock, Dublin incorporated an interesting combination of features including Extended Patio areas, sweeping Sandstone Garden pathway, Sandstone Raised Bed which amongst other items included a Mill Wheel water feature, some very attractive Olive Standards, a new  fence constructed from pressure treated Timber cladding and discreet lighting using the latest high output low energy LED lighting.

The photos were taken during wet conditions which perhaps is useful to see how beautifully vivid and varied the colours of natural Sandstone can be. In this project the Sandstone paving (and wall capping) is Ravena, an increasingly popular alternative choice to the more widely used Sandstone Mint. Ravena appeals to those who prefer to have a more muted tones in dry conditions to the ubiquitous yellow tones typical of Sandstone Mint. Another feature of Ravena is the pink/wine colourways which are much more evident during wet conditions. On closer examination some hints of the yellow tones are also visible.

The Raised Planted Bed was constructed using White Sandstone and the wall capping is of course Ravena sandstone. The layout was designed to be essentially one level thus maximising the use of the various areas and also  providing some additional flexibility to the use of the recessed paved area. This approach also influenced the layout of the Raised bed which was essentially linear but incorporated a full circle to circumvent the Mill Wheel water feature which the clients were keen to incorporate in the new scheme. Looking at the photos the colour of the Mill Wheel is remarkably similar to the Ravena Sandstone.

I would also like to point out the results of the skill and workmanship in several aspects of the paved areas including the linear and curve cutting and installation. Grass margins were re-defined to conform with the new levels set by the paving hence the extended soil areas adjoining the old lawn and new paved sections.

Frequently we receive feedback on how useful and informative our SUNBLOG is to readers seeking design and layout ideas.  I also receive requests from readers to show more ‘Before’ as well as ‘After’ photos from our project portfolio. So here are a few ‘Before’ photos from this particular project.