patio advice needed... concrete or crushed concrete?

[alalele]

I have an existing small patio or concrete pad 12x12 outside my back door but want to make it bigger... add an additional 35 ft x 12ft to it. (because I have a 2nd hand patio cover to put up)

I've considered crushed concrete (with weed barrier under)...

OR ... more challenging but even better for sitting patio furniture on....attempting 3x3' squares of concrete or even 6x6' pads that I can do as time permits by mixing up batches of concrete myself.

Is there an easier way to work with DRY concrete? I've had bags of concrete get rock hard just from moisture... why does it have to be mixed then? My point is that it doesn't have to be perfect or professional.

Today I started tilling up the area and wheelbarreling the dirt to use in a flower garden.

does anyone have pictures are ideas of what they've done???? or advice? pros and cons etc?

 

[smom1976]

I will take a picture of my patio tomorrow..

But there are 5 stones in a pattern that make a aprox 3x3 square..

they look like stones.. the only part that sucked was that they were not all the same width.. so to level them was tricky but everyone loves it when they come over.. I am always getting comments..