We recently landscaped a patio in our backyard and, with some minimal prep work ahead of time, we were able to nearly complete the entire project on a Saturday.

Here is how we constructed our backyard patio:

• 1 Choose an Area

In our case, we had just finished building a path along the edge of what had been a scraggly lawn under a Chinese elm tree and between new areas created for flower beds. The area we chose was 11 x 11 - a large enough area to accommodate several people at once.

• 2 Choose Patio Materials

We decided to use Parisian Cobblestone tiles that we had delivered at Home Depot. Each one cost $ 3.99 and they're about 16 inches by 13 inches. We ended up doing 8 rows by 9 rows.

We also bought bags of crushed gravel and sand to mix in with the dirt and support the tiles.

The crushed gravel is step 1 as it says on the bag to aid in drainage and the sand is step 2.

• 3 Prepare the Ground

While a rototiller can break up hard ground and then it can easily be raked to smooth it out, I like the idea of landscaping a patio as a workout appeals to me. I simply took a pick and dug up the ground then had 2 of our boys continue. We raked it smooth and then they sifted the dirt, tossing out roots, larger rocks. Smaller pieces of gravel aren't a bad idea to keep since they aid in drainage. The ground was quite soft and unable to support the weight of tiles and people sitting on top.

• 4 Stake a Border and Line

This is where you need to do as I say and not as I do. We didn't put up a border such as a plastic runner or board. However, we did eye the ground and saw the high point and the low point. Grading is tricky work. We had the thickness of the stone and set a line. Our backyard slopes slightly. I didn't mind having a slight slope to the right but I wanted to make sure we didn't have a dip in the middle of the patio. As long as it was uniform I would be satisfied.

Patios built at the back of a house, garage or other structure should be sloped slightly away from the wall. A slope of 1-inch per 10 feet is acceptable.

• 5 Compact the Ground

We rented a compactor from Home Depot for $ 46 for 4 hours. We ran it along the ground, checked the grade, compacted the high areas and tossed soft dirt and sand in to the lower lying areas ahead of the compactor. We'd run it for 15 - 20 minutes, check the grade, choose the areas to compact and then run it again.

• 6 Choose a Point of Reference

We chose the point from where we were going to start laying down the tiles. We laid 4 in a square and then started the first row. We used a carpenter's level to make sure each tile was flat in one direction. And then we used a level to make sure there was a slight slope following down hill.

• 7 As we placed each tile, we made sure it was level with the one before it. As we moved going up the slope, we saw a slight rise that we knew we would need to scrap down as we went. We also used a 4 foot long 2x4 to grade and level the dirt as we went.

We also walked across each row of tiles and if we felt one that rocked beneath our feet, we were able to pull it up, place a little bit of sand under it, and then set it back.

Sand is recommended to sweep in the cracks between the tiles.

And finally, though we lay the tiles flat on the dirt mixed with sand, the dirt is bumpy enough and with the first layer of fill drainage shouldn't be a problem from underneath.

While one patio doesn't make me an expert, I am happy with the results.