Laying slabs on sand with mortar

One way of livening up an area of paving is to make sunken beds by removing occasional slabs and planting in the spaces.If you are laying a new patio,it is simple to plan for such beds in advance.instead of laying the usual rubble and concrete base over the whole area,leave the soil clear where your bed is to go.improve the existing garden soil(assuming it is reasonably good)with organic matter,such as well-rotted garden compost,and pave round it.If you want to take up slabs from an existing paved area,chip away the cement from between the slabs and lever them out with a crowbar.If they are completely bedded into the cement ,you may not be able to avoid cracking them,and you may need a power hammer to remove them ,together with the foundations beneath them ,until you reach bare soil.once the slabs are out,excavate as much rubble as you can from underneath and then refill with good topsoil,enriched with some extra organic matter.You coul leave the bed ‘flush’ with the paving,or make a low raised edge to it using bricks or rope-edged tiles.

 

Ideas for plants and paving

TIn odd backwaters of the garden,where nobody walks about much,you can plant flowers or rock plants into the cracks between the paving.Drought-tolerant plant,including some kinds of rock plants,are the most suitable for a low maintenance scheme. But why not try something different? Self-sown seedlings of many kinds of hardy annuals are just as drought-tolerant.if the cracks are not cementedover and there is even the poorest soil between them,these plants often just’arrive’without ever having been sown.the best way to get self-sown seedlings going is to plant suitable plants nearby-not in the patio itself-and let them set seed.then simply pull up any that grow where you do not want them.Even tall plants like hollyhocks can look charming growing randomly in paving next to a wall,but for a more orderly look you may prefer  to plant ‘tamer’species into the gaps or into small beds made by removing an occasional paving slab.In this case,be sute to improve the soil under the slabs,as grown plants with scented foliage are particularlt pleasant.They contribute to the lingering aroma to the air every time they are stepped on and lightly crushed-but do not walk on them too often.Non-flowering chamomile and creeping thymes are ideal.Try growing plants that spread over the paving,such as nasturtium,but choose a situation where they will not be walked on.and as a complete change,why not plant a small area with herbal or alpine ‘lawn’ made of a mixture of low creeping plants,with stepping stones to allow you to pick your way through them.

 

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