Stone patios are a durable, attractive landscape feature that have the potential to be low maintenance.
Most stone patios work best when they are level in all directions. However, if a patio is immediately adjacent to a structure, such as a house, it helps to have the top surface of the stone slope away from the structure.
Large pieces of stone, no less than 2 inches in depth, will remain in place longer than small pieces and thin pieces.
The joinery, or gaps, between patio stone can be wide enough to plant deliberately such as with creeping thyme. Gaps between stones can also allow rainwater to seep into ground, which helps reduce soil erosion elsewhere. If no gap is desired, saw cuts can allow surface-to-surface contact.
Many of my patios feature the compass rose, showing the 4 cardinal directions. Others also have joinery or other markings which indicate solar and lunar cycle.