Patios and Gardens for Reading Homes
Reading grew up where the River Kennet meets the Thames, and the town has many long streets of red brick Victorian terraces, such as the Newtown area towards Cemetery Junction. Behind those houses are gardens that are long, narrow and often only reached through the house. Further out, estates such as Lower Earley, built from the late 1970s, have their own gardens that are now ready for a change.
Richard Pack Landscaping works on Reading gardens of every size, from a new patio or drive to irrigation, outdoor lighting and ponds, in Caversham, Tilehurst, Earley and Woodley as well as the town itself. Most of this page is about patio laying, because a narrow garden is where a well planned patio makes the biggest difference.
Porcelain Patios & Patio Laying in Reading
In a narrow terrace garden every metre counts. A patio that runs the full width by the back door can feel cramped, while one set further down the garden, in the part that gets the afternoon sun, often gets far more use. We look at where the light falls, where the shed and bins live and how you move from the house to the end of the garden before suggesting a layout.
Porcelain is a good fit for small Reading gardens. It comes in large slabs that make a narrow space look wider, it wipes clean after a spill from the barbecue, and it stays cleaner than most stone in a shaded garden between high walls. Find more ideas on our patio page.
Laying a Patio When There Is No Side Access
Many Reading terraces have no side gate, so everything for a new patio has to come through the house, and everything dug out has to go back the same way. That is quite normal. The route through the house, how floors and doorways will be covered and where materials will be stored should all be agreed before work begins, so you know what to expect.
What goes under the patio
Old terrace gardens can hide a lot: broken brick, old paths and the odd buried surprise. Once that is cleared we go down to solid ground and build the patio up in layers of crushed stone, each one rolled flat. The paving is then set with a slight slope towards the garden so rain drains off, and next to the back wall it stays well below the damp proof course, which keeps the house dry.
Gardens shaded by walls and extensions
Many terraces have a neighbour's rear extension or a high wall along one side, which keeps a strip of the garden in shade for much of the day. Paving in that strip stays damp for longer, so we suggest an outdoor porcelain with a textured face rather than a smooth one, and we keep joints tight so moss has less room to take hold.
Replacing a patio laid when the estate was new
On estates built in the 1970s and 1980s, the original patio is often made of thin concrete slabs on a thin bed of sand. Over the years they sink and tilt, and weeds take over the joints. Lifting them, rebuilding the base properly and laying porcelain gives you a patio that will stay flat. If your slabs are still sound, repointing or cleaning may be enough.
New Driveway Installation in Reading
Front gardens in Reading are often small, so a new driveway has to make the most of every bit of space. We plan the drive to fit the car with room to get to the front door. Surfaces include block paving, porcelain, permeable paving and resin. See our page on new driveway installation for how the base and drainage are planned.
The planning rule in England is that a front garden paved over five square metres in a solid surface needs permission, except where rainwater is led onto soft ground inside the boundary. Choosing a surface that lets water through removes the need, and it helps in a town where a summer storm can overload the drains. Crossing a pavement to reach the drive means a dropped kerb, which the council has to approve before it is built.
Garden Irrigation & Outdoor Lighting Installation in Reading
In a garden between high walls, plants close to the fence often miss the rain. Drip lines along the borders and a timer on the tap keep them watered without a nightly trip with the can. Outdoor lighting along a narrow path and around the patio makes the far end of the garden worth sitting in after work, until the light goes. The garden irrigation and lighting page explains the options.
Pond Builder & Pond Installation in Reading
Even a small garden has room for a pond or a water feature. With his training in Fishery Management, Richard sizes the depth, the filter and the pump to suit the volume of water. For a narrow plot, a pondless waterfall or a compact wildlife pond often works best. Our ponds page covers everything from natural ponds to smaller water features.
Whole Garden Plans from a Landscaping Company in Reading
If you want more than a patio, we can plan the whole garden as one job: a new patio near the house, a path to the end of the garden, lighting, irrigation and fresh planting. Doing it together means one set of groundwork and one route through the house for materials, which matters when access is tight.
Richard has worked as a contractor and as a foreman for landscaping firms, and since 2023 has worked directly with clients again. As a landscaping company we give clear advice and a clear quotation. Our landscaping page shows how a project runs from the first site visit to completion.
What to Expect from Richard Pack Landscaping
- A clear quotation and no sales pressure
- Layout advice for long, narrow gardens
- Workmanship backed by a minimum five year guarantee
- Free quotes for gardens of every size
Common Questions About Patios in Reading
How do materials reach a garden with no side access?
Usually through the house. The route and floor protection should be agreed first, and deliveries timed so materials arrive as they are needed, which keeps the hallway clear for as long as possible.
Our estate patio is sinking. Does it all need replacing?
Not always. If the slabs are sound and only a few have dropped, they can be lifted and relaid. If the whole patio has moved, it is usually better to rebuild the base and lay new paving.
Our garden is near the Thames and holds water. What can be done?
Parts of Caversham and other streets close to the Thames and the Kennet sit low, and gardens there can stay wet through winter. A deeper base of clean stone, a clear slope on the paving and a planned route for the water, into a soakaway or a planted bed, keep the patio dry underfoot.
Do you work in Caversham and Woodley?
Yes. We work right across Reading, from Caversham and Tilehurst to Earley, Lower Earley and Woodley.