When we realized what a significant cost component it was to do our entire new patio in flagstone, we decided to consider a concrete patio with flagstone edging, if we could find a concrete finish that we liked. We were discussing this with Tom Poplin of Horizon Landscaping, who had made us a proposal, and wanted to show us some of his work. He met us in Pasadena and took us to a couple homes of previous clients, where he'd done a particular concrete treatment he specialized in, a tinted and water-washed finish that exposed a nice sandy texture and color. In one vintage Craftsman home, he worked to make the new concrete walkways look the same as the vintage Pasadena sidewalks that they met up with. We really liked the finish, and that settled us to go for it. We also liked his joints, which were cut through but then partly refilled.
