Pizza and Patio! David Domoney explores this great combo!
26 May 2023
As summer creeps closer, the weather’s warming up, and the temptation to spend those longer, brighter evenings outside is irresistible. Especially when you have the option to cook your dinner outside.
Cooking from fresh
May is the month to get your fresh herbs and veg growing, ready to top delicious home-cooked pizzas. There really is no better way to spend an evening than with good company, a cool drink, and deliciously fresh food. And the great news is, you can do all of this from the comfort of your own Pavestone patio.
Patio Perfection
Inspired by some of the world’s finest natural stone, the warm, dappled tones of Pavestone’s Dolomite Grey Porcelain Paving acts as a chic blank canvas in both rustic and modern garden designs.
You have the chance to enhance your outdoor space by incorporating pops of colour, fragrance, and personal style using garden furniture, flowers, and decorative touches.
Complete with a sleek pizza oven, you can create your own outdoor cooking and seating area: the perfect place for hosting pizza parties, this May.
Can’t beat home grown
Of course, you could just pop to the shops for your pizza sauce and toppings, but the real flavour comes from growing your own. Why not grow some tomatoes? Whilst they do grow better in greenhouses, you can grow Tomatoes in ornamental pots on your patio, adding ornamental interest as well as a practical purpose. It’s a good idea to buy a young plant from a reliable garden centre. You’ll need a container, filled with moist compost around 1 inch from the rim. Ensure that the pot has good drainage! Plant as soon as the nights become frost free. Bury the roots deeply, and water them well at least once a day. When the fruit starts to grow, feed the plant regularly with liquid tomato food. Soon you should have some delicious, home-grown tomatoes!
Pizza Paradise
And if you’re turning your tomatoes into a delicious pizza sauce, you’re going to want to add a bit of authentic, Italian flavour.
You can achieve this by growing your own herbs, and a bit of garlic. Basil and oregano are the easy-to-grow herbs that will add that distinctive floral zing to proper pizzas, and subtle aroma to your outdoor space. However, it’s a good idea to keep your herbs growing on an indoor windowsill until the weather warms up, as they grow best in shelter, warm, and sunny spots.
Garlic!
Garlic is also simple to grow when using nursery stock. It’s a great idea to incorporate a vegetable patch or two in gardens with outdoor kitchens, especially as garlic thrives when planted outside. Garlic grows best in a warm sunny site, with well-drained soil. Grown from cloves, they are best planted in autumn, to be ready for the following summer. Garlic works to add depth to the flavour, as well as a hot (if raw) or sweet (if roasted) edge to your sauce.
Contrasting beauty
And of course, you’re going to want your space to look great for you and your guests to enjoy. Note how this garden has incorporated another one of Pavestone’s Dolomite Porcelain Pavings, in the shade Dust. With sophisticated sandy tones, this paving contrasts beautifully with Dolomite Grey and creates the perfect neutral edging for seats, borders, and outdoor kitchens. The white and beige tones encourage you to experiment with colourful plants, to really get your patio pizza party ready.
Planting Precision
This garden has incorporated the deep corals and dense textures of Sedum autumnalis in the raised borders.
These really pop against both dolomite pavings, particularly when planted in conjunction with the gorgeous white flowers of the Mexican Daisy.
The Rosemary is a perfect plant for any leisure garden, upright foliage to give colour all year round, and lilac bee friendly summer flowers. It can also be used to add flavour to a garlic and sea salt Focaccia.
Party nibbles
Garden furniture also performs well when it comes to party appeal. Whether you add subtle, cool-toned striped seating cushions to your furniture like this garden or bolder jewel block colours, Dolomite grey will compliment it nicely. Make sure you also have a small table handy; somewhere to pop your drinks and nibbles as you wait for your delicious pizzas to bake!
And there you have it! This May, enjoy your Pavestone patio with style as you welcome fresh food, design, and faces to your outdoor space. The perfect recipe for a pizza party in May!
There are many more stunning videos of beautifully landscaped gardens using Pavestone landscaping and building materials featured here for you to explore. Let me walk you through them.David Domoney, TV gardener, horticultural expert and Pavestone brand ambassador blogs monthly on the Pavestone website on all things landscaping related. We look forward to seeing you back again next month.