Starting the patio

I need more warm dry days. There really hasn't been enough of those lately to pour concrete. and I really, really do want to pour concrete. This fountain is supposed to be part of a patio, and it needs to wrap back around to the new deck. I wanted to use some of the pea gravel that I had leftover from the walkway on the other side of the deck, and the stepping stones that we found laying around the house already. I got started.

Fountain, a/c, deck access point, storage

Another angle to the stepping stones & deck stairs

Tied into the backyard

My plan is to pour concrete between the stepping stones, then sprinkle the pea gravel on top to give it the same color/texture as the path on the other side of the deck, but a more stable structure. Then add a flat concrete pad outside of the stepping stones to complete the space. I want to add a curved edge in there too.

I had 3 bags of high strength concrete from Lowe's to start with, so on one dry day I finally got to pour them. You wouldn't believe how little coverage I actually got from 3 bags.

added some pea gravel to the base

Finished area topped with pea gravel

 I really love the way this part turned out. If I had more than 3 bags of concrete I would have kept going, the end result is pretty smooth. Of course not all of that gravel stuck after it cured, but I expected that. The end result is what I was looking for.

Now I've got 5 more bags of concrete in the shed and no dry days that are above freezing to actually pour it. Come on mother nature!