Water & Fire Features for Beautiful Outdoor Living!
Water & Fire
Fascinating Elements for your Living Space and Patio
Water and fire are two elements that can really highlight the personalized creativity and style of your garden or patio. Water features create a soothing and serene atmosphere for your outdoor sanctuary perfect for reflection and relaxation. Fire features, on the other hand, not only keep us warm on those cool Colorado nights, but they can become a social beacon for your family night or evening get-togethers. Combine both of these powerful elements for an even more dazzling spark to your garden or outdoor living space.
Water
Water features can be the pinnacle of relaxation and serenity in your garden and outdoor living space. The soft sound of trickling and bubbling water can complement a quiet day in the garden perfectly. Or you can include a large waterfall near the pond to help drown out neighborhood noise. Consider the addition of a small pond or water trough to accent your garden or small space. Use oxygenating plants to accent your pond, while keeping it healthy, oxygenators provide oxygen and absorb the nutrients and elements that would support algae. Some oxygenating plants add a nice touch of color with above-water blooms, like common water-crowfoots or pygmy water lilies. Consider using wood-barrels for a rustic look, or a sleek ceramic or tin trough for a modern or minimalist touch. For a modern look, be sure to keep the design simple and sleek, so limit the variety of plants you use to compliment your feature and use those with bold shapes. The horsetail, simultaneously primitive-looking and elegant, can be a nice compliment to tall and sleek water features.
To capture the soothing sound of flowing water, introduce a fountain to your garden or patio design. Fountains with recirculating pumps create beautiful ambiance as water trickles through stones or out of bamboo shoots. Sunken fountains blend in nicely with surrounding elements and create a bit of mystery when surrounded by small plants. Fountains are the perfect way to infuse a small space with a burst of creativity and elegance.
Fire
Your fire feature can be the center point of your outdoor living space whether you are roasting marshmallows with the kids on a warm Summer evening, or if you’re illuminating and warming-up your patio dinner party. Before adding this spectacular element to your garden or patio, consider how you’d like to use it. Will you add small fire urns to accent the boundary of your deck or patio, or will you create a social hub with the addition of an outdoor fireplace? You can also decide between a portable hearth or chiminea, or a permanent feature such as a wood-burning fireplace or gas powered fire-pit. Permanent features can be used as stylistic elements year round, for example consider using fire-blasted stone to compose your chimney and mantle for an Italian Rustica look. Extend the arms of the mantle to create a designated dining area, complete with pizza oven and counter space. Stucco is another common and inexpensive material to use for your fire feature, a style often found at its peak in the southern regions of the state.
Water & Fire
Combine both sensual elements to create a complimentary scenic landscape. Fused together, fire/water pots, or fountains with fire features create a special dazzle in the host garden or living space. Fire/water hybrid features can be a fantastic centerpiece to a sleek, modern scape, or can be used as walk-way accents through a lush, enchanted garden.
Sources:
Better Homes and Gardens – http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/patio/designs/patio-ideas/ & www.bhg.com/home-improvement/porch/outdoor-rooms/designing-for-outdoor-living/ & http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/patio/designs/patio-ideas/
HGTv – http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/water-features-for-the-garden/pictures/index.html
HIGH CRAFT Builders :http://www.highcraft.net/kitchen-remodeling/its-time-to-plan-outdoor-living-spaces.html
FineGardening – http://www.finegardening.com/item/9427/fireplace
ELA – http://www.elaoutdoorliving.com/fire-features.htm
Extended Living Spaces – http://www.extendedlivingspaces.com/fire-features.php
Outdoor Living for the Entertainer!
Get Out and Live!
After enduring the long Colorado cold spell brought on by Old Man Winter, there’s nothing like enjoying your backyard retreat in the pleasant Spring sun! Now is the perfect time to transform your yard or deck into the ultimate outdoor destination.
When planning your outdoor living space consider how you would be using the area. Design your family fun space around a built-in gas grill and chiller with stone pathways to the perfect grassy picnic area. Or host evening get-togethers at your marble-top island under the covered patio. Plus, great add-ons can boost your property value as a homeowner as well!
Extend your living space outside and enjoy the fresh air year-round. It is always nice to use existing patio space and decks when possible, so try to consider how you can expand upon an area already accessible. Transform your space with an appealing and long-lasting patio. Use interlocking pavers, creative flagstone or stamped and stained concrete to create a good, low maintenance floor base. Or keep the pleasant natural look with a weather-resistant deck using materials such as recycled composite planks or finish with a weather-resistant sealant. Both weather-resistant decks and stone floors require little maintenance and maintain their structural integrity through Colorado weather. 
Select great plant life and features to create the perfect outdoor atmosphere. An in-ground fire pit or a gas-powered fireplace can be the perfect modern touch for a cozy environment, adding ambiance and warmth to cool Colorado nights. Nearby, install a beautiful granite or marble counter top island with a built in gas-grill and mini-fridge perfect for entertaining guests and relaxing at the end of your day. Outdoor lighting is an ideal way to illuminate your covered patio in the evenings. Using solar-powered lighting or energy-efficient bulbs conserve energy and keep the cost down.
Add a touch of color and life to your space by planting shade-loving flowers and shrubs around and within your patio area. Line your covered patio or deck with beautiful Hostas, Brunneras, and Caladiums during the Spring and Summer months. Keep color all year long with flowers such as Impatients and Begonias growing alongside your shaded retreat. It is a good idea to plant foundational shrubs as a lush backdrop for your plants all year round – we recommend evergreen shrubs such Norway Spruce , Bird’s Nest Spruce, or Daphne, Carol Mackie.
Most importantly, be sure you make the space yours! There is nothing more rewarding than going home and being drawn to your perfect outdoor living space.
Contact Personal Touch Gardening and Landscape for more great outdoor living ideas, or to help design, install, and maintain the outdoor space of your dreams!
Sources:
High Craft Builders – http://www.highcraft.net/kitchen-remodeling/its-time-to-plan-outdoor-living-spaces.html
Better Homes and Gardens – http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/patio/designs/patio-ideas/ & www.bhg.com/home-improvement/porch/outdoor-rooms/designing-for-outdoor-living/
