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Has your yard seen better days and you’re thinking about different options on what to do with it? Or if you’re building your first home and thinking about what would be a modern way to do your landscaping?
Look no further, here are some options for you. No matter if it’s about walkways or curbing, there is something to consider about concrete backyard ideas over here. That being said, concrete landscaping edging is one nice way to decorate your yard in a unique way these days.
When it comes to concrete, it’s not exactly a new concept in landscaping. Concrete has been used in landscaping since ancient times and during those years many have searched for concrete backyard ideas. We all probably have seen some examples of Roman concrete being used to decorate houses, gardens, and roads from historical documents.
Today there are dozens of inexpensive landscaping techniques that utilize the versatility of concrete to produce amazing concrete landscaping edging and pads.
For concrete yard ideas, here are some examples.
Stamped concrete landscaping curbs
One modern take to curbs is making them with stamped concrete texture. Concrete is mixed and molded in place to produce curbs around yards, flower beds, and other raised structures.
Stamped concrete curbs can be designed around a variety of shapes and heights, they can be set in straight lines or around curves. This is a great alternative to setting stone retainers or cinder blocks for an edging structure.
After the mold or form has been made, we can create the same size stamp for it. Then we pour or shovel the concrete into the mold and use the stamp after the surface is level. We need to wait until the concrete has hardened a bit from the surface so the stamp will leave a clear mark.
With enough imagination, all kinds of stamped concrete textures can be made using DIY stamps to bring life to our landscape. We could even go for seamless stamped concrete curbs surrounding our plantings.
Stamped concrete pads
Another way to use stamped concrete texture to our advantage is to use it on concrete pads. These textured concrete pads will replace the smooth pad tops as they can be made almost with the same trouble.
To create these, a stamped concrete pad molds can be used, as can texture concrete rollers. The most common textures used are stone paver patterns and brick textures.
It doesn’t have to end there though. With little trouble, we could create natural stone imitations or if we’re a little bit handier, wood imitations. For the people who don’t want to use time creating stamps, stamps can be easily bought from the internet as well.
To get a more detailed picture, you could make the form straight in the ground. Set the top of the form at level with the ground or even a little over it. When the form is well in place, you can pour the concrete in there.
After a while, you can use a stamp you have made for the concrete or the texture roller on the surface. Now you have a textured concrete pad in any size you want.
Colored concrete
It used to be that almost all the concrete products available were some shade of grey. Today this is luckily not the case. With pigments being more available, we can make concrete in many different colors. You can even create a custom color that matches the colors in your home.
To create a colored cement all you have to do is add a powdered color pigment to your dry cement mix. You will want to make sure your color is well incorporated throughout your concrete mix before you pour it.
If we have to make lots of colored concrete, it’s good to have proper measure per bag of dry concrete. Also, the amount of water has to be properly measured as more or less water in the mix will affect the final outlook. So it’s best to have a concrete bag, 1 measure cup of pigment, and 1 measure bucket for water.
This way you will have pretty much the same result every time you try. There will be minor differences as there are some on the concrete bags, but no one will be able to tell as these are so minor details.
Concrete pavers
A simple and affordable option for concrete landscaping is to use concrete pavers. Concrete pavers come in several sizes, shapes, and colors. Pavers are also relatively easy to install as any healthy person can do it as they can always be removed and redone.
To use these pavers you will either lay them on top of your garden surface or lay them in a prepared, compact space in the ground. These pavers can be purchased from a home and garden store, department store, or outlet store, or they can be made at home using a paver mold.
I’d recommend browsing through the stores first as they come in so many shapes and prices. There will probably be something pleasing to the eye in the price range you’re planning. Then again, if you’re comfortable with using a mold, why not create something like red brick stamped concrete pavers.
You don’t have to stop at brick pavers as there are many kinds of molds for doing concrete pavers. You can create natural stones in random patterns by turning the mold around or you can just go with different sorts of paver patterns.
Concrete rubble landscaping
The final idea in concrete landscaping is to use concrete rubble as a design feature. Concrete salvaged from other projects is recycled and broken into small pieces and used to fill in rock gardens, to decorate edging and to backfill retaining walls.
Recycling is a green idea, but it’s good to check that the concrete is good for that kind of use. We don’t want to harm our landscape as there are different minerals used in concrete.
To avoid trouble, it’s good to ask where you’re getting your recycled concrete that is it usable for your purposes. They should be more than able to tell as they deal with it on daily basis.
How to use the rubble then? You can use edging or boards that won’t rot to border an area and place the ruble inside. You can do the sides of your house foundations with these or use them where you have plants. There are many options and one way I can see these used as is like you do with other kinds of gravel.
Conclusion
Personally, I think that why not do it all. Coloring concrete is a wonderful option and using stamps can make some lively stamped concrete textures is a good way to take it even further. For pads, we could make unique colors as well and use concrete stamp rollers to finish the surface.
The options are really limitless for those who want to build something truly one of a kind. It’s more about how much effort you want to put in being different from the masses.
Getting pigment for the concrete is one of the cheapest ways to decorate along with a texture that I can think of. Mixing it with concrete and mortar is really simple and doing the texture is as well. If you get really good results you can use a sealer on the surface to protect them even further. Or give them the wet look or whatever you like.
A lot of people get their ideas from the hardware stores and magazines. Not everyone is willing to go the extra mile to make curbing themselves, even when it’s not something hard to do. I could even argue that it’s easier than making the ground for new edging level enough for them to look perfect.
Using concrete in landscaping should not be limited by a style or two, it’s a material where everything can be combined. For that reason, don’t limit yourself when you’re thinking up concrete backyard ideas.
