How to Choose the Perfect Stone for Your Virginia Patios & Walkways — Shrader Stone | Native Gardens, Landscape Design & Artisan Stone Masonry

Let's be honest–choosing stone for your patio can feel overwhelming. With countless options, aesthetics, and price points that seem to vary wildly, how do you know what's right for you? In this patio guide, we're breaking down both natural and manufactured stone options that work well in Virginia's climate, with details on their durability, investment, and ecological impact.

Natural Stone Options for Patios and Walkways

Bluestone: Virginia's Favorite

If you're looking for a stone that portrays the classic "Virginia patio," bluestone is your answer. This locally sourced beauty has three color options: deep gray-blue, full color, or lilac. What makes it unique? It's tough enough to handle our variable weather and provides great traction in the rain, but it is smooth enough for bare feet in summer and lasts forever.

From an ecological standpoint, though it is quarried, natural stone requires minimal processing compared to manufactured stone and reduces transportation emissions as it's available from local quarries. Natural stone is long-lasting and may be re-set (if needed) or repurposed indefinitely.

Bluestone comes in two styles: sawn or irregular.

Sawn Stone: Cut into regular shapes, sawn bluestone offers clean lines for a refined look. We often associate sawn stone with formal gardens, but it works well in modern mid-century landscapes. The straight edges provide a calming effect and serve as a quiet backdrop for lush gardens, fireplaces, or stone walls.

Irregular (Native Edge) Stone: The natural edges of irregular stone have more texture, adding interest and variation within a tight color palette. We pride ourselves on laying irregular natural stones with consistent joints, providing uniformity while keeping a natural look. This style fits seamlessly in soft garden settings—like lodges, farmhouses, cabins, or cottages—and enhances naturalistic, meadow-like gardens. It can also soften the edges of modern or formal spaces by adding texture and contrast.

Slate: A Storied Legacy in Virginia

Welsh settlers in Buckingham County discovered Virginia's high-quality slate in the 1700s, using it for roofing and walkways. This durable blue-black stone became famous for its exceptional quality and elegant appearance. The Buckingham Slate Quarry in Arvonia operated for about 200 years, producing some of the world's finest slate for numerous prominent buildings. Though the quarry recently closed, slate chips from the site are still available, allowing homeowners and designers to incorporate a piece of Virginia's architectural heritage into their landscapes and gardens.

Slate's natural slip-resistant surface makes it an excellent choice for walkways and patios. It can be laid in irregular flagstone patterns for a rustic, organic look, or cut into uniform shapes for a more formal, structured appearance. While difficult to source, slate adds a timeless sophistication to outdoor spaces.

Brick: A Classic, Timeless Choice

Brick has stood the test of time as a reliable building material in Central Virginia. Made from clay, sand, and minerals, it offers durability and affordability while perfectly complementing our region's historic homes and architectural traditions.

Traditional Appeal: Brick pathways and patios evoke a sense of warmth and history, making them a natural choice for Colonial and early American-style homes. Their rich, earthy tones complement a variety of home styles, from classic to contemporary.
Versatility: While some see brick as traditional—or even boring—there are plenty of ways to modernize its look if the traditional look is not your goal. Pairing it with natural stone, incorporating creative laying patterns like herringbone or basketweave, or softening it with surrounding plantings can add a fresh, updated feel.
Installation Options: Brick can be set in sand or mortar, depending on your project needs. A sand base allows for flexibility, making it ideal for areas with tree roots or shifting soil. Mortared brick, on the other hand, provides long-term stability and durability.

We love mixing slate or bluestone with brick to create a sleek, updated take on this classic material.

Pea Gravel: An Underutilized Gem

Pea gravel is an affordable, easy-to-use, and naturally permeable material that reduces runoff and helps protect our watershed. It works well for walkways, patios, and other outdoor areas.

In Central Virginia, pea gravel is available in a variety of colors and sizes to suit different design aesthetics:

Colors: Common hues include blue, gray, rust brown, and buff-beige tones.
Sizes: Typically, pea gravel stones measure from 1/8 to 3/8 inches in diameter, providing a delicate and refined appearance.

Gravel works beautifully in irregular or organic shapes, lending a natural look to garden pathways. It complements informal, cottage, Japanese-inspired, or natural gardens, but can also be used with stonework in more formal spaces. One of its most significant benefits is permeability, which allows rainwater to seep through rather than run off, reducing erosion and promoting healthy soil.

When selecting pea gravel, it's important to consider your project's desired aesthetic and functional aspects.

Belgian Block: Historic Elegance

Belgian blocks offer historic charm with a fascinating origin story. These distinctive stones once served a practical purpose as ballast in European sailing vessels, providing necessary weight stabilization during ocean voyages. Today, they bring that same sturdy elegance to Virginia landscapes, connecting modern homes to maritime history. Once they arrived in the Americas, the blocks were unloaded along with trade goods and repurposed for paving streets and walkways.

Belgian blocks are typically a mix of gray shades, though they can also be found in white, black, or, more rarely, pinkish-gray or yellow-gray tones. Their durability ensures they last for generations, making them an environmentally conscious long-term choice.

Belgian blocks are beautiful, durable, and work particularly well as edge borders along garden, walkway, or driveway edges.

Natural Choices: Mulch

For those looking for a more natural and cost-effective material, straw, wood chips, or mulch are excellent choices. While typically used in garden beds, mulch can also be used for casual paths or natural play areas. Mulch and wood chips are affordable, easy to install, and lightweight.

Each of these natural stone and material options offers unique benefits, allowing you to choose the perfect material to complement your home's style and your personal aesthetic.

Stone Options for Your Virginia Patio: The Complete Guide