DIY: Using Concrete Pavers in Your Yard

Image by Bronisław Dróżka from Pixabay

For anyone who is intimidated by the idea of working with garden pavers, for those who may think they are tools only for professionals experienced in masonry, be assured that you too can beautify your garden and yard with these smooth finishing touches.  Perfect for taming and refining wild, overgrown areas, concrete pavers are easily customizable building blocks for framing or accenting outdoor spaces.  And making a permanent commitment or leaving the option to change it up is all up to you--in most cases using grout is optional depending on the purpose and look you’re going for. 

Rock Garden Borders

To complement any small trees in your yard, you can dot the area surrounding the base of the tree with smaller plants and flowers, either potted, in the ground or both.  Creating freeform borders allows you to build around the existing trees and plants, and curved lines give your yard a flowing atmosphere.  Concrete pavers serve this purpose especially well since many styles offer interlocking shapes or flat edges that can be tightly lined up against each other to hold in mulch, natural stones, gravel, or other attractive fillers.  

Planter Pedestals

Flat-edged pavers or designs with interlocking shapes offer an easy way to elevate potted plants and keep them out of the dirt, upright, and steady.  Set a few pavers together on either side of the front door or at the entrance to your garden and place a potted plant on top.  Giving plants some extra height adds interest and spotlights them as welcoming touches.

Stepping Stones

If you enjoy having a fair amount of lawn space and particularly if you live out in the country, having a beautiful yard to curate usually comes with the price of tracking dirt into your house.  Use concrete pavers to form a natural, neutral walkway in the hue and shape of your choice, or arrange several together to create stepping stones to your front door.  Both solutions help keep dirt off of shoes on the way in and don’t take up much of your yard.  

Border For Your Outdoor Kitchen

For sheds, pet houses, or even outdoor kitchens made of wood, the sides collect dirt and sand, particularly in seasons of stormy weather.  Concrete pavers let you easily build a border around these structures to beautifully frame them as well as help protect them from dirt and dust.  You can also add a stepping stone pathway to the building that matches its border.

Border For Garden Beds

Evoke the ambiance of an English garden by filling unused garden space with concrete pavers.  Line the ground beneath first with weed prevention cloth if your garden is especially prone to weeds; without grout you will likely still get some growth between the stones anyway but, when well maintained, adds to the rustic look.