How to Create a Tuscan-Style Patio
Tuscan design is the epitome of Mediterranean charm, with rustic yet elegant features and a warm color palette. If you want to add a touch of Tuscany to your landscape, creating a Tuscan-style patio is an excellent addition. Patios lend themselves well to Tuscan style, as Tuscan outdoor designs are almost always paved. Before beginning your overhaul, ensure there are a couple days of clear, sunny weather forecasted for putting in the patio. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Mason's string
- Shovel or spade
- Level
- Lumber planks, 2-by-12-inch
- Saw
- Mallet
- CR-6 gravel
- Screed
- Hose
- Hand tamper
- Sand
- 16-by-16 inch terra cotta pavers, 3-inch thick
- Hard-bristled broom
- Terra cotta urns
- Potted plants
- Ornate cast-iron table set or terra cotta benches
Instructions
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Outline the patio area with mason's string and use a shovel or spade to excavate the area to 10 inches deep. Excavate an extra 2-inch depth around the perimeter to accommodate the border. Lay the level down on the floor of the patio in a few different sections to ensure the floor is level.
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Cut planks of 2-by-12-inch lumber to size with a saw for the border of the patio, then insert them around the patio perimeter, resting on the 2-inch edges. Knock them down into position, using a mallet.
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Spread CR-6 -- a construction-grade fine-ground gravel compound -- onto the patio floor to a depth of 8 inches. Screed the CR-6 so that it is level, then wet down the patio with a hose to make it slightly damp.
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Compress the gravel with a hand tamp (rentable from any hardware stores or garden centers) so that it is 4 inches thick after compression. The CR-6 provides a compact, solid base for the patio and will also help prevent weeds from germinating in the patio area.
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Spread sand over the CR-6 base so that it is 5 inches thick. Screed the sand so that it is level, then dampen it and use the hand tamper again to compress the sand to 3 inches thickness.
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Insert 16-by-16-inch terra cotta pavers on top of the sand, starting from one corner of the patio, working outward. Tuscan-style pavers are generally laid square with one another, so there is no complex, staggered pattern for the pavers.
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Spread ½ inch of sand on top of the pavers. Dampen the sand and pavers, then tamp them. The tamping won't press the pavers down, but it will compress the sand between the paver joints, creating a firm installation. Brush off the remaining sand with a hard-bristled broom.
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Set a large terra cotta urn in the center of the patio, or smaller urns in each corner of the patio. Install a fountain on the patio; fountains are a common feature in Tuscan outdoor design. An urn and fountain combination would also work well.
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Screen off one side of the patio with a row of potted juvenile cypress trees. Add bright flowers like iris or poppies planted in earthy-toned pots on the opposite side; keep flower colors grouped together to maintain the Tuscan feel.
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Set an ornate cast-iron café-style table and chairs in one corner of the patio. Tuscan landscaping always provides a place for people to sit and admire the surrounds. Alternatively, place a simple bench along one side of the patio. Steer away from wood, which offers more of an English garden feel. Place stone benches without backs for the most authentic Tuscan style.
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Tips & Warnings
When deciding on the size of the patio, you'll be using 16-by-16-inch pavers, with a border of 2-by-12-inch lumber, so size the patio to fit the pavers exactly, with around 1½ inches extra space all around for the border. That way you won't have to cut any pavers, and you'll save considerable time.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
