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Turning Broken Bricks Into a Patio Garden

Turning Broken Bricks Into a Patio Garden - Nature Hills Nursery

Charlotte Weidner |

Do you know that expanse of brick or stone in the backyard? The one with a few broken pieces, or maybe a sunken spot in the middle? Maybe it just looks boring and monotonous?

Easily turn it into your own little Oasis instead of an eye-sore!

    Little Slice of Heaven

    Usually occurring right in the middle of your patio where there’s the most foot traffic, that sunken area, missing bricks or stones, or spot with broken, cracked pieces that are trip hazards. You can cover it with a rug or table or instead - while it may look awful now but use your imagination.

    Dig that area out and, regardless of what shape it is, you can install a reflection pond, fire pit, or better yet a garden Oasis!

    Patio Oasis DIY

    Just like creating an in-ground container or planter, there are only a few extra steps involved:

    1. Dig out the broken area to 12-18” deep, or more if it’s poor soil beneath the stone
    2. If you encounter water when digging, you may need a gravel layer for drainage
    3. Amend with good potting soil, organic matter, compost, topsoil, and other additions
    4. Install drip Irrigation if you are in a very dry/hot area
    5. Select plants suited for your soil type, growing zone, style, and sunlight needs
    6. Choose low-growing, dwarf, mounding, and spreading plants, plus a few thrillers!
    7. Mulch the area with bark mulch or decorative rock to blend it into the surrounding pavers
    8. Add lights, decor, and a water feature to complete the look.

    Work with the shape you have or carve out an area to your liking! You’ll create something truly unique that will make you look like a professional garden designer!

    Here are 4 premade design ideas to get your creative juices flowing!

    Xeric Patio Garden

    For dry gardens, or for those in very hot zones, a Xeriscaped landscape with Xeric plants that are drought-tolerant plants, not requiring much attention or water once established. Heat-tolerant too, they thrive in tough conditions.

    • Mediterranean Palm tree or Jelly Palm Tree - great tropical thrillers and tall elements and focal points. Colder growing zones can use a cold-hardy Musa Basjoo Banana Tree instead.
    • Lady’s Mantle - a lush groundcover with bright star-shaped flowers. Plant this as filler and as your low-growing element.
    • Firewitch Dianthus - bright, colorful, and fragrant beauties with incredible foliage! Sometimes evergreen, you’ll enjoy bursts of blooms. They’re also perfect for water conservation!
    • Creeping Thyme - a fantastic groundcover smothered in bold pink blooms. A low-growing creeping groundcover that’s scented, this is a great plant for filling and rambling around the edges where foot traffic won’t damage it.
    • Yucca - tough, hardy evergreens that add incredible textural and sculptural elements. Very drought-resistant and save your water bill!
    • Catmint - blooming, fine-textured perennials that attract loads of beneficial pollinators. They lend a soft, fragrant blue-green foliage! Fantastic drought-resistant plants for a Xeric garden, Catmints are tough plants!
    xeric patio options

    Wet Soil Patio Garden Oasis

    Installing French drains or gravel to help with soggy garden soil, sometimes only goes so far. You can either berm your area to lift your plant root system above the water table, or you can work with what you have and just add water plants suited to those conditions.

    • Castle Spire Blue Holly Tree Form Topiary - tall, focal point element
    • EverColor® Everlite Variegated Sedge Grass - bright fine-textured motion grass
    • Soft Rush Grass - upright textural grass
    • Purple Flame Iris - tall textural brooding color & beautiful blooms
    • Strongbox Inkberry Holly - a prune any size evergreen
    • Brilliance Autumn Fern - lush fine-textured foliage
    • Goldi Creeping Jenny - a low growing bright flash of color
    wet soil options

    Keyhole Formal Patio Garden

    Soothing greens and tidy plant groupings create something a bit different, yet unique! Utilizing a monochromatic color scheme or symmetrically spaced plants - a formal planting gives any landscape design or plant assortment a clean, polished appearance.

    • Spartan Juniper Spiral Topiary - focal point with an easy-to-maintain spiral form
    • Adam's Needle Yucca - green spikey element & tall white blossoms the pollinators adore
    • Blue Mouse Ears Hosta - formal blue-green foliage & great low-growing filler
    • Cauticola Sedum - tough formal-looking groundcover
    • Blue Rug Juniper - easy-to-grow creeper with year-round appeal
    • Black Scallop Ajuga - dark purple groundcover
    • May Night Salvia - another dark-colored, long-blooming butterfly magnet
    Keyhole formal patio garden

    Wall or Edge Garden

    Perhaps your problem area isn’t in the middle of your terrace; maybe it’s on the edge or against your foundation. So go vertical with your garden planting! Add a trellis or arch for vines.

    Even if your problem area is not against a wall, you can add privacy to your space! By growing upright!

    • Climbing Rose or Clematis - flowering vertical height
    • Boston Ivy and Creepers - lush greenery
    • Dragon Head Bamboo - amazing, upright screening
    wall or garden edging

    Edible Oasis

    Want a double-duty garden? Use plants that also produce tasty fruit and vegetables instead of landscaping plants.

    Edible Oasis options

    Create a garden haven right in the middle of the pavement desert! Plants, sculptures, water features, and mulch or decorative rock - and imagination - are all you need for a green spot right in the middle of a desert of brick!

    You can create something spectacular and unique without hiring a landscape architect! Let Nature Hills Nursery help you turn problem spots into beautiful, functional nooks! Give us a call so we can help you create your own backyard Oasis!

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do I prepare a stable base under broken bricks so my patio garden stays level over time?
    Dig out the damaged area to a depth of 12 to 18 inches, going deeper if you find poor or compacted soil beneath the existing surface. If you encounter moisture or standing water during excavation, lay down a gravel drainage layer before adding your growing medium, as this prevents future settling and keeps roots healthy. Fill the space with a quality blend of potting soil, compost, organic matter, and topsoil to create a stable, nutrient-rich base that resists sinking. Finish by mulching with bark or decorative rock to lock in moisture, regulate soil temperature, and create a seamless transition with the surrounding pavers.

    Should I use sand, gravel, or mortar to keep broken bricks in place for an outdoor patio garden?
    For a patio garden where you're repurposing broken or sunken brick areas, the better approach is to remove the damaged bricks entirely rather than trying to stabilize them. Dig out the problem area to 12 to 18 inches deep, amend the soil with compost, topsoil, and organic matter, and convert the space into a planted garden oasis. If you encounter moisture when digging, add a gravel drainage layer at the base before filling with quality potting mix. Focus your efforts on selecting the right plants for your zone and sunlight conditions rather than patching bricks that will likely continue to shift and crack.

    How deep should I dig before laying broken bricks for a patio or planted garden area?
    When converting a broken or sunken brick patio area into a garden oasis, you should dig out the damaged section to a depth of 12 to 18 inches, or even deeper if the soil beneath the stone is poor quality. If you encounter water during digging, add a gravel drainage layer before amending with quality potting soil, compost, and organic matter. Once the area is properly excavated and amended, you can install drip irrigation for hot or dry climates, then select plants suited to your growing zone and sunlight conditions.

    How do I arrange broken bricks of different shapes and sizes to create a cohesive patio layout?
    Rather than forcing irregular broken bricks into a rigid pattern, embrace the organic shapes and use them as a framework for a patio garden by digging out the damaged or uneven sections to 12 to 18 inches deep and filling them with amended soil, compost, and organic matter. Group similarly sized fragments together to create defined borders around your planted areas, and use decorative rock or bark mulch to fill small gaps and visually unify the space. Choose low-growing, spreading, or mounding plants to soften the edges between brick and soil, and add one or two upright thriller plants as focal points to draw the eye and give the design intentional structure.

    Can broken bricks be used safely as edging around garden beds or pathways?
    Broken bricks can absolutely be used as edging around garden beds and pathways, and they work especially well when repurposed creatively rather than discarded. Set them at least 3 to 4 inches deep into the soil to keep them stable and prevent shifting over time. Arrange them vertically on their ends for a classic sawtooth border, or lay them flat and overlap them for a more casual cottage look. Head to your local salvage yard or use pieces from your own patio repairs to get started, and choose uniform-sized fragments for the cleanest, most professional finish.

    How do I create planting pockets between broken bricks so plants have enough soil and room to grow?
    To create planting pockets between broken bricks, dig out the damaged area to a depth of 12 to 18 inches, going deeper if the soil beneath is compacted or poor quality. Amend the excavated space generously with a blend of potting soil, compost, and organic matter to give roots the nutrients and drainage they need to establish well. If you notice water pooling when you dig, lay a gravel drainage layer at the bottom before adding your amended soil. Finish by selecting low-growing, mounding, or spreading plants suited to your sunlight and growing zone, then mulch around them with bark or decorative rock to retain moisture and blend the pocket seamlessly into the surrounding hardscape.

    What low-growing or drought-tolerant plants work best in the gaps and edges of a broken brick patio garden?
    For drought-tolerant, low-growing options in a xeric patio garden, Lady's Mantle works beautifully as a lush groundcover filler with bright star-shaped flowers, while Firewitch Dianthus adds fragrant, colorful blooms that hold up well in tough conditions. In warmer zones, a Mediterranean Palm or Jelly Palm serves as a striking thriller and focal point, while gardeners in colder zones can substitute a cold-hardy Musa Basjoo Banana Tree for that tropical look. When planting, amend the dug-out area to 12 to 18 inches deep with quality potting soil, compost, and organic matter to give roots the best start, and add drip irrigation if you are in an especially hot or dry climate. Focus on mounding and spreading varieties to keep the planting low and cohesive with the surrounding pavers, then finish with bark mulch or decorative rock to tie the whole oasis together.

    How do broken bricks affect soil drainage, and what can I do to improve drainage for nearby plants?
    Broken or sunken bricks can disrupt water flow across your patio, causing pooling or uneven drainage that may waterlog plant roots or create dry pockets nearby. When you dig out a damaged area to the recommended 12 to 18 inches deep, you may encounter standing water or compacted, poorly draining soil beneath the surface. If that happens, lay a gravel drainage layer at the base of the excavation before adding amended soil, compost, and organic matter. Choose plants matched to your actual soil conditions, whether wet or dry, and always mulch the finished garden area with bark or decorative rock to help regulate moisture and protect roots.

    How do I keep weeds from growing between broken bricks in a patio garden?
    Preventing weeds between patio bricks starts with laying a high-quality landscape fabric beneath your planting area before adding 2 to 3 inches of bark mulch or decorative rock over the surface. For gaps between intact bricks, polymeric sand is one of the most effective solutions, as it hardens when wet and blocks weed seeds from taking hold. Reapply mulch each spring to maintain adequate coverage and suppress any opportunistic seedlings before they establish. For persistent weeds, spot-treat with a targeted herbicide, taking care to avoid any desirable plants you have installed in your patio garden oasis.

    Can I build a broken brick patio garden directly over grass, and how do I prevent grass from growing back through?
    It is not recommended to build your patio garden directly over grass, as it will almost certainly push back through and compete with your plants. Instead, dig out the area to at least 12 to 18 inches deep, remove all existing grass and roots, and lay a layer of landscaping fabric before amending with quality potting soil, compost, and organic matter. Top the finished bed with 2 to 3 inches of bark mulch or decorative rock to suppress any remaining weed and grass seeds. Take the time to properly excavate and prepare your soil from the start, and you will save yourself significant maintenance down the road.
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