Recycled Granite Block Patio

I am so excited to share how I reused old granite blocks from my former landscape that I almost gave away to my neighbor! These blocks had little to no impact before, and I was determined they were not going to be used in our new landscape.
Then one day while visiting a local nursery, I saw a really cool circular pattern in the gravel made from small square stones. That's when I knew those granite blocks weren't going anywhere...they were going to be my new patio!
Here is my side yard before:


Those granite blocks you see are what I wanted rid of. Ugly before, right??
And here was my inspiration for my new patio that I found at the nursery...






Cool, right? That's when I knew those blocks would be perfect!
I dug my hole about 3-4 inches deeper than the stones. I covered the base of the hole with a layer of weed block fabric, then 2-3 inches of sand. I laid out stones in a circular pattern starting in the center:






I filled the spaces with tiny irregular pebbles as you can see in this close up taken at Easter last year:






It's a good idea not to use regular pea pebbles as they are rounded and can be a hazard if you slip on them. I found some that were more irregular shaped at my local nursery.
A bench gives the space purpose.






I can't believe I almost gave these granite blocks away!






A once ignored space is now a destination.






The patio seating area breaks up the long path from the front to the back.






Coming from the back gate, it's a hidden spot along the way.






So much better. Big difference from where it started! Follow the link below to see what it looks like now! You will be wowed all over again!







Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/1256570/recycled-granite-block-patio site