Where to put a patio

[Wimaway]

I have a long narrow garden and would like a patio so we can do some hosting. There is no back gate, just a garage at the end.

Where would a decent length of patio go best? At the end of the garden, or as you walk out of the kitchen? The end of the garden is always sunny - too hot with no shade. The kitchen end is sunny in the morning and shaded by 11 o'clock
What would you do?

I’d put patio across the full width nearest the house. Then have lawn and shrubs for the rest.

I would have two patios one for the morning and one for the evening but really it depends when you use your garden? Are you a coffee/cuppa in the morning person or a g and t in the evening person or both?

The back garden has been east facing in both our previous & current houses.

In our previous house we had a patio at both ends but experience showed that we didn't really use the one at the far end so I this house we have just the one patio near the house.

Works for us.👍

Near the house you will use more.

I would do both, small bistro table outside the back door, path with planting either side down to the end of the garden for a hosting area.
You can use a large parasol or sail canopy for sun glare.

Do you like sun or shade? Where has the best view? I would try actually sitting in each of the proposed areas, at the time you're most likely to sit there, and see what you think! We had thought the area by our back door but actually when we sat there realised the view would be shit.

I don't like the sun at all, and a patio down the end would me a massive pergola, or large sun shade etc etc
It's taking enough persuasion to get a patio at all. We do have a 10 ft one at the house end but it's so small you can't do much on it! And it needs to be started soon for next year.. April is too late!!

I think the house end sounds like a no-brainer. Pergolas can be a bit funny with planning permission, as as PP has said, less likely to use it, pain in the arse to cart all your food and drink there and back.

Do consider putting some planting space around the patio, in particular between the patio and the house if you can, softens it up enormously - house then patio straight up to it looks very hard and nasty.

Surely this depends on where the body is buried?

But in more seriousness - by the house. in teh summer when it is really hot you'll appreciate the shade. If it's cooler and people want to be in the sun they can move down the garden onto the grass to sit.

A patio by the back door helps stop dust and muck coming in too when teh ground is dry or wet.

Well I'm paying for the patio, if he doesn't like it he'll be going under it 😂

For inspiration, this is the most lovely book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pleasures-Porch-Daria-Price-Bowman/dp/1567992234/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7EKQI7JLJEBF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FH7zlZ_8F4XIiphIFkItp7RBNQmMol2GlfgORpoOXuM.VVfs16WL9MpYS9MvuqvToLyU8HvYNCNzMqR350FO-oA&dib_tag=se&keywords=The+pleasures+of+the+porch&qid=1791631664&s=books&sprefix=the+pleasures+of+the+porch%2Cstripbooks%2C425&sr=1-1

It always brings my blood pressure down and I drool over some of the spaces.

As you walk out of the kitchen. I have a lovely sitting area under a canopy at the end of my averaged sized garden. It’s lovely with Moroccan tiles, climbers growing over the pergola… but that even relatively short distance is too far. So I sit at my kitchen table and look at it rather than be under it. The idea is nice, but accessibility is paramount.