I mentioned before about using old bricks like this in a rosette pattern. My mind keeps coming back to this because I think that round shapes are just pleasant to look at. A post is just a post but when you decorate it with other flanking materials, it becomes more interesting. Reminds me of a christmas tree skirt.

Well I'm about to get a yard with several young trees. Depending on how shallow the roots are, I might try this with some bricks. I would leave some space right around the trunk, then put in some nice evergreen grass out from there, and then add a circular brick pattern out from there. Then I'll have three different textures/zones coming out from the trunk.