Lanscape Information

There are several different varieties of backyard fire pits out there to choose from when getting ready to commit to adding some open flame to your outdoor living room. Depending on the size of your backyard, the space on your patio and the architecture of your home, there are several options available to ensure you choose the right one for your home.



Gas Fire Pits

The most popular of the fire pits in this growing trend of adding flame to your backyard experience are gas fire pits. They are safer than wood burning fire pits as they are make the flame easy to control, you can flip them on and off with the flip of a switch and they do not spew noxious fumes and ash into the air. This is the case with many permanent, built-in fire pits. A natural gas or propane fire pit needs to be connected to gas lines running from the home or other building.
Just like an indoor gas fireplace, a gas fire pit typically creates flames above concrete, ceramic logs or fire glass. The units come in a variety of shapes an sizes ranging from square, to round, octagon or rectangular. There are also hearths and fire bowls that achieve the same affect. For examples of these different varieties, click here. These can be smart options where the wood burning has been outlawed as a fire hazard.


Chimeneas

Another popular fire pit design is the chimenea. This squat, mostly enclosed tub sits above the ground, usually on a patio, on feet and has a chimney or a vertical pipe acting as a vent. Chimeneas are usually made out of ceramic, clay or cast iron. This fire pit is designed to provide heat by burning wood logs.



In-Ground Fire Pits

Another option is an in-ground fire pit. These pits start as holes that are dug into the ground and then lined with small walls of stone or brick that extend above the ground. You can design these with gas burning systems or just toss some logs in there. This design allows homeowners to build a campfire right in their backyard and provides a great place to set a grill or a few skewers. This type of fire pit can provide a focal point your backyard, with seating built around the pit.


Portable Varieties

There are some fire pits out there that are simpler and portable, allowing them to be used in a variety of locations, the backyard, the beach, in the woods or elsewhere. Different designs are out there and can be round, square or rectangular and usually have spark screens to cover the flames, to keep ash and burning embers from escaping. Certain portable fire pits have rotisserie bars for rotating meat while cooking and some have flat traditional grills for searing meat and vegetables. Portable fire pits use either wood or charcoal depending on the needs of the homeowner, cooking, or just enjoying the warmth of an open flame.

When you are in the market for a new custom fire pit, contact us at any time and well be happy to help you select the perfect fire pit for your home. 1-877-556-5255.

The basic differences between backYard and Front Yard Landscaping are in the intended purpose of the design. Front Yard Landscaping will first consider how to provide necessary access into the home while backYards are usually focused on entertaining or relaxing. And since the Front is where folks usually enter and leave home, they also takes curb appeal and invitation into consideration. So with the two Basics of appearance and access in mind, a Front Yard landscape design can often be as simple as designing the necessary walkways, driveways, and other access and then designing the rest of the space around them.
Planting ideas and schemes in Front Yards will often follow a rule of simplicity and repetition. Less is often more. Its important that the plants, as well as all other elements in the Landscaping, complement the home rather than overpower it. Trees, shrubs, and some larger plant groups are important in design to help transition, hide, blend, and unify the home into the landscape.

The corners of the house and the Front door entry are two areas that need special consideration in the design. In some instances the Front door is the focal point of the house. And in order to frame it and focus attention on it, its a common practice to transition down to shorter plantings on both sides of the Front door. For the corners however, taller plants are necessary to soften the corners as well as lead the viewers eye toward the Front door.

Trees can also serve to frame the view of the home. The frame can be used to channel the focus on the home as the most dominant element in the landscape. Select trees with a shape that can match the overall design of the house. Steep angle roofed homes will most always look best with trees like Spruce and Birch which are pyramid shape. And for the lower lines of a ranch type dwelling, trees that are horizontal or round in shape, like maples and dogwoods, are great choices.

And just as the other plants and trees, lawns are also important parts of some Front landscapes since they can create atmosphere. A lawn on the Front Yard with uncluttered flower beds, shrubs and ornaments can create the illusion of extra space.

As with all designs, the most important step in designing Landscaping ideas in the Front is to start with a complete and finished design. Whether you plan to do the entire project all at once or in steps, a finished plan is necessary to keep it on track. Without a finished plan, youll end up with a pieced together patch work landscape. Before you begin, consider all weve discussed in this article and create a finished plan.

In a nutshell, Front Yard Landscaping is about access, creating curb appeal, and accenting the home. And as simple as it may sound, coming up with an appealing design can really be as simple as designating the necessary entries and then creating a simple design around them.