Can I just lay slate/stone over ugly concrete 'patio' or will it shatter in cold weather ?

[LaurieFairyCake]

If I put clay pots on the patio after a few years they get frost damage and shatter, would that be the same with slate?

It's a very ugly concrete blob at the back of the garden where we took down a shed.

Watching with interest as I (who has not a gardening or DIY bone in my body) try to work out what to do with the ugly concrete in our garden.

Could you cover it with stones/gravel/bark chipping things?

There are certain stone tiles that claim to be frost-proof. If you go to a tile centre they should be able to show you the range for outdoors - plenty of people I know have stone paving but I live in London which tends not to get very severe frosts. Might be a different story in the Highlands or Northumberland.

I would cover it with bark and put lots of pots on full of flowering plants.
I have done something similar to a patch near our conservatory. It looks good when the plants flower.

I can't cover it with anything not stuck down as you step up to and it's unboundaried on all sides, it would mean all the stuff would get scraped on to the lawn or in the beds by the dogs/cats/people.

It's about an eight inch drop all round.

I'm in Hertfordshire so really quite warm.

We put slate tiles onto an old concrete base and it was fine and looked great. Base has to be very flat to put the slate tiles on so may need a concrete skim first. We lived in Cheshire at the time and it survived cold winters.