by Nan Sterman

Concrete, brick, flagstone — I grow really tired of the same old, same old when it comes to hardscape. I always have an eye out for new ideas, especially those that use common materials in different ways.

My own hardscape is made from what I affectionately call "California flagstone." In the early years of our garden project, we priced out a beautiful pink-hued flagstone and found it way out of our price range. But "California flagstone" — actually broken concrete — was nearly free and in ready supply.

We called local haulers to find those trucking away broken-up patios or walkways. If their job site was closer to our garden than it was to the dump, they were happy to deliver. Not only did they save time and gas, but also the tipping fees the dump charges to accept a load.

As our stockpile grew, we divided it in two — one pile was typical gray concrete and the other had a pink tint that resembled our favorite flagstone. It was a popular color in California in the 1970s that I've heard called "San Diego Pink" or "California Pink."

Fortunately for us, it had long fallen out of vogue. Stylish or not, it served our purposes extremely well. We used it in the highest visibility locations where, to this day, few people realize it isn't actually flagstone.

A bit of advice about broken concrete; the best pieces are 3- to 4-inches thick and measure at least 1 foot by 1 foot. Smaller than that is basically rubble. Also, avoid concrete with rebar in it.

Communities around the state have other "natural" resources. California has such varied geology and topography that some gardens are full of rocks or even boulders. Claremont, Calif., east of Los Angeles, for example, sits on an alluvial fan filled with rocks that have been rounded and tumbled smooth by water. Stick your shovel in the ground — if you can — and up they come. A colleague of mine calls them "Claremont potatoes."

While the "potatoes" are a nuisance to some folks, they are a treasure trove for those building stone walls and other hardscape elements. I recently saw a beautiful garden with a long, winding pathway. The owner had set a wide band of cobbles along each edge of the path and in the center she planted a carpet of Dymondia margaretae, which is one of California's best low-water perennial ground covers.

A client of San Diego, designer Pamela Homfelt of pH Exterior Design asked her to update a plain brick walkway. Homfelt used liquid nails to affix bright colored marbles to the surface of a few bricks she then scattered among their plain brethren. The adorned bricks were set slightly deeper so the walkway surface would be level.

"What made them pop was when we used mortar the same color as the brick," Homfelt says.

This straightforward do-it-yourself project could incorporate other materials as well, she adds. Her sister, in fact, is thinking of doing a version with pennies.

These are just a few ways to liven up your hardscape. Keep your eyes open for more ideas in your community. You might be surprised where you find them — in your local hardware store or craft store, at the beach, at a friend's, in a public space. Use your imagination!

Nan Sterman is author of "California Gardener's Guide Volume II." She is a gardening expert, communicator and designer who has long grown an organic garden of plants that both feed her family and beautify her garden.