You are not there yet. You are so far from being there that you did not ask a single question. I would suggest that you do something to get closer to "there" which will then give you specific dilemas and/or choices that you might need advice on for making.

As Glenda the Good Witch said to Dorothy, "it is best to start at the beginning and then just follow the yellow brick road". Work from general toward specific. An example would be that you want a patio, then where it should be relative to other activities that exist or you want to exist (like near a door to the kitchen), then how big you want it vs. how much room you have,.... Choosing material is a resulting point not a starting point. It will be a matter of whether you are going to be wearing shoes or barefoot (around a pool? you don't want to pick up loose joint material on wet feet and have it in the pool, you don't want exposed edges that can hurt feet, you don't want something too hot to walk on), it will be cost driven to one degree or another, availability of materials, and finally the capability of your contractor (you in this case I suspect).

OZ is a long way away and there are witches, lions, and tigers, and bears, and lets not rule out flying monkies. Surround yourself with good people and ask the right questions, and above all, make the commitment and all will be well.

Commitment is often in the form of hiring qualified people. It often requires spending some money. Sometimes it can be done through hard work and determination. It never comes too easy or it is not much of a commitment.

As a designer, I like your open approach. Many times, I find clients specifying particular plants or hardscape materials before any decisions about usage, maintenance, style or other important primary considerations. As laag stated, "Work from general toward specific" is key.

I've accumulated many books over the last 30 years or so related to landscaping, gardening, design etcetera. I would recommend two very easy to read volumes as a good start to landscape design. Although I'm not a fan of Reader's Digest, their book "Practical Guide To Home Landscaping", is one of my very favorites for it's clear and concise approach to the subject. The second selection is "Landscape Gardening" from the Time-Life Encyclopedia Of Gardening. Both of these volumes are very good at breaking down the process to a very sensible and logical approach.

Among my own priorities for a landscape design are existing features and plants, architectural style, and setting. After determining the clients general wants and needs, I integrate them in the most appropriate and creative way I can by use of specific materials, forms and other factors. In laag's words, "Choosing material is a resulting point not a starting point."

Mactac,

Those books are very pleasant alternatives to those done by some name recognized authors as they might be less apt to promoting a signature style and more about promoting a logical process without a predefined result. Those are what I call "My Way or the Highway" design philosophy books. I think these would be much more helpful to someone starting out than those by signature designers.

I have had that Time Life Encyclopedia "Landscape Gardening" book on my shelf for well over thirty years. I should blow the dust off of it and have a look. It has been a while.

Be careful laag, I sneezed for five minutes after blowing the dust off my copy this morning. I always liked Jim Crockett from my first exposure to Crockett's Victory Garden. Think he really started the TV How-To revolution.

I always remember his description in the Trees edition of the encyclopedia regarding locating some 8' branches from his Weeping Willow to a new house he was building. As it was very wet, he sharpened the ends and threw them as spears to the low area he wanted, straightening them when the area had dried sufficiently.

That whole series is a great resource to me, but those two volumes are must-haves. I think those interested can find lots of volumes at great prices on ebay, which I did to fill out missing editions.