Let’s Create a Heart-Shaped Patio!

My landscape goal this summer was to create an oasis of sorts in the garden area of our backyard. We have a very large Maple tree in the center of this area and some of the grass does not grow well due to the shade it provides. There are also two 4′ x 8′ raised garden beds. Both of those things make mowing difficult. So….I decided to make some changes.

Bark bed update

Earlier this summer, I made changes to the bark beds that I had created a couple of years ago. I removed the rectangular edge bricks and replaced them with bullet bricks. Bullet bricks allow for a curved bed as opposed to an angular one; I think the curvy look is more aesthetically pleasing; you can see what I mean by checking out the difference shown in the pictures on the post:

Future path & patio areas

When I removed the rectangular bricks, I set them aside to be used in the garden area until I had both the time and inspiration for what to do with them.

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Garden path

One of the projects I made with them was a garden path/divider between the main lawn and what would become the Oasis – hubby calls it our Park. You can read about that path here:

Patio style decision

Once I finished updating the bark beds, I turned my attention to the garden area. I had several rectangular bricks laying on the ground in the spot where I thought a seating area would be nice. I must have rearranged the bricks 5 or 6 times. I moved the bricks close together and set the Adirondack chairs on them only to find out that design would be too small. I spread them out in the same shape and just didn’t like it. I stretched them from the tree bench to the garden in a rectangle pattern. I finally settled on a triangle shape with the base of the triangle closest to the garden and the point closest to the tree.

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Is that a heart?

After I had all the bricks in a triangle shape, I bought a few pieces of flagstone to increase the size of the seating area. A friend of mine stopped by to help me load some sod that I was going to take to her house. She looked at my patio-to-be and asked, ‘Is that supposed to be a heart? It looks like a heart.’ I looked at the bricks and said, ‘Well, yes, evidently it is!’ So, decision made – the patio would be in a heart shape!

Preparing the area

Since the area where this patio is being constructed is level, I chose not to remove the sod. Besides, by this time, since the bricks had been on the grass for a few weeks, the grass below and around them had already started to die from lack of sunlight and water. I figured with the weight of the bricks and sand & rocks I would be adding, the grass would not be an issue. So, I left the grass in place. To ‘kill off’ the grass between the bricks & flagstone, I used a mixture of white vinegar, dawn dish soap, and salt and applied it with a garden sprayer.

Starting the project

Now that the grass was pretty brown, it was time to create the patio. Even though the grass was brown and I’d be placing sand, rock & brick on it, I still chose to put down a weed/grass barrier. I had some brown paper grocery bags, newspaper & also landscape cloth on hand. I didn’t have a lot of landscape cloth so I started with that and when I ran out, moved onto using the newspaper then the bags. When using paper bags or newspaper as a weed barrier, you will want to wet them down after placing them on the ground. Wetting the paper will help it stay in place while you work; especially if it’s windy. I started at the tip of the heart and worked my way to the larger section. Since I wanted to keep the design, I picked up a few bricks/flagstone at a time, laid down the weed barrier, covered it with sand, and then laid the bricks/flagstone back in place, shifting them as needed to keep the heart shape. Since some of the flagstones were thinner than the bricks, I used extra sand to bring them level.

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Adding rock

When all the bricks & flagstone were set, it was time to bring in the rock. I bought both the sand & small landscape rock in bulk from a local landscape company; 1/4 yard of each. I use a garden wagon to bring the materials to the backyard from where the truck is parked in the garage.

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Finishing touches

After all the rock was set between the bricks & flagstone, it was time for the finishing touches. I like to use a sealer on my rock & flagstone for a couple of reasons: it gives them both shine and it ‘glues’ the rocks together a bit which helps prevent them from shifting when walked on. Don’t get me wrong, they still move sometimes and end up on the bricks or flagstone, but only a few of them here and there.

I buy the sealer at the same landscape place where I get the flagstone. It is $49/gallon but goes a long, long way! To apply the sealer, you just need an applicator. If you are only using it on the flagstone, you can use a small roller or paintbrush but if you are also using it on small rocks, it’s best to use a sprayer.

Once the sealer was dry – it only takes an hour or so in warm weather – I added a border of dark mulch around the edges of the patio. I added the mulch to keep in the sand and small rock in place since I didn’t use a landscape border. I say this on all the landscape posts I write, our soil is very rocky so installing the borders that need to be secured with stakes is just not feasible so I usually find other options to border my projects. The dark mulch really set off the heart shape and hubby and I loved it! I already knew that I’d be adding a lighter mulch to the surrounding area but until then, this mulch helped hold in the sand and little rocks.

Here is the patio after I added the lighter mulch and before the furniture was brought out.

Completed patio

With the rest of the mulch around the patio, it was time to add the furniture. Normally, I wouldn’t have this much furniture on a patio this size; but, for some reason, we have a LOT of chairs in the backyard. On top of that, hubby bought himself a rocker to have on the patio. We’ve set out there several times already! It stays cool in the shade of the Maple tree and you can’t beat the scenery!

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Supply List

• 8″ x 16″ bricks
• Flagstone
• Sand
• Small rock
• Mulch
• Weed barrier
  • Newspaper, brown paper bags, landscape cloth
    • Water supply if using newspaper and/or bags
• Garden wagon
• Garden shovel
• Garden gloves
• Kneeling pad
• Sealer (*optional)
• Garden sprayer if adding sealer

For your convenience – links to supplies

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to order through these links, it will be at no extra cost to you

Instructions

• Remove grass or use product to ‘kill’ it
  • Natural solution: 1 gallon white vinegar, 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup Dawn dish soap
• Lay down weed barrier
• Add a layer of sand over barrier
• Set bricks/flagstone in the pattern of your choice
• If bricks and flagstone are different thicknesses, level with sand
• Add small rock between bricks/flagstone
• Surround patio with mulch or add landscape border
• Apply sealer with garden sprayer (*optional)

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