View source for Patio

[[Image:Livadiya Italian Court.JPG|thumb|left|A patio of the [[Livadia Palace]] in [[Crimea]].]]
[[Image:Patio medium.JPG|thumb|right|A paved patio with brick-built barbecue]]

A '''patio garden''' (From the Spanish: ''patio'' meaning "back garden" or "backyard") is an outdoor [[garden]] space generally used for [[meal|dining]] or [[recreation]] that often adjoins a [[residence]] and is typically [[paved]]. Specifically, it may refer to a [[roof]]less inner [[courtyard]] of the sort found in [[Spain|Spanish]]-style [[dwelling]]s.

Patios are typically made of [[concrete]] or stone slabs laid over a firm base. This base is often formed of a layer of compacted hardcore (stone chips), a layer of sharp sand, and a layer of [[cement]] mortar. The firmness and stability of the base is essential to the robustness of the top layer of slabs - an infirm base will typically result in cracked slabs. Patios that hold a lot of weight, such as driveways, require stronger [[Foundation (architecture)|foundations]] than those that are designed for light use.

Patio gardening is often based around the use of large [[clay]] pots.

[[Category:Gardening]]