• Paving stones are a design classic for patios and pathwaysPatio mallorqu?-n image by Raulmah?3n from Fotolia.com
  
  A beautiful and functional home landscape design takes more than a selection of plants. Structure, flow and form are also part of good design. Paving stones are integral to good landscaping because they are the materials from which you create paths, walkways and patios. Whether you seek inexpensive paving stones, a moderately priced paving stone solution or you are not constrained by budget, there are paving stones to match your design goals and desires.
  
  

Concrete Paving Stones

• Stamped or colored concrete paving stones are not natural stone but they function in the same way. Since concrete can be dyed with colors, imprinted with various textures and even tumbled, it can resemble genuine stone accurately. Concrete paving stones, also called pavers, are also relatively inexpensive and are usually sold by the piece or square foot. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes for flexibility in design. Other advantages of concrete paving stones are their ease of installation, their strength, durability, weather resistance and easy maintenance.
  
  

Reconstituted Paving Stones

• Reconstituted stone consists of concrete mixed with crumbled natural stone, which is then formed into shapes. Contemporary technology makes it possible for reconstituted stone to appear and behave like many kinds of natural stone without costing as much as natural stone. It is available in a variety of colors, sizes and textures. Because of its uniformity in size, reconstituted pavers are easier to install than quarried stone. Its texture is also uniform, and that makes it less inclined to crack or flake. Since it is manufactured and not quarried, it does not have the unique variation that natural stone has, and its colors may fade.
  
  

Natural Paving Stones

• The most expensive choice is natural paving stones. Natural stones are quarried and can include anything from large stone slabs to single stepping stones. Natural paving stones link the space they cover with the surrounding natural environment. Their other advantages are that they are durable, require little maintenance and they resist heat absorption. However, natural paving stones are usually not for use on driveways where they will be compressed under extreme weight.
  
  Flagstone is a generic name that refers to natural quarried stone cut to create a shallow flat slab. Its expense is based on the size and thickness of the individual slabs as well as their color and texture. It is the non-uniformity of flagstone pavers that makes them appealing and lends a dynamic quality, a sense of movement, to landscape design.
  
  Bluestone, a type of sandstone, is a popular choice. It usually has a blue, a green-gray or brown hue, and is commonly available in large rectangular pieces. Bluestone is actually excavated in blocks and the blocks are later cut with a jigsaw into shapes. To prevent cracking, large bluestone paving stones should be thick.