Tidy!

A few recent patio and base-laying jobs. Large or small, it's always nice to have somewhere to sit outside and a solid base makes all the difference to the setting of your shed, summerhouse or even a hot tub. A patio layout should be determined by how you want to use it –so carefully measure the furniture it will house and leave plenty of space for those pot plants and walking around in-between. The materials you use will depend on budget and taste, or may be selected for functional reasons like the shingle around the hot tub below, which was chosen for free drain as the clay soil of this garden makes managing ground water a challenge.