How to Integrate an Outdoor Fireplace in a Landscape

Build seating around an outdoor fireplace to enjoy its wamrth on cool nights.

Outdoor fireplaces lend style and warmth to landscaping, especially on cool nights. Integrating a fireplace into your landscape is not difficult, but it does require both aesthetic and logistical considerations. These fireplaces come in a variety of styles, from stone ones that tower over 8 feet tall with an MP3 dock, to simple metal structures with a bowl.

Things You'll Need

• Brick, stone or gravel edging
• Plants
• Shovel
• Birdbath, sundial or bench
• Clay pots
• Container fountain

Instructions

1. Write down the color and material your fireplace is made of in one column, and the existing colors and materials in the landscape in another column.

2. Look for ways to extend elements from your patio around the fireplace. For instance, if your patio is made from bricks or pavers, edge the fireplace with the same materials for a seamless look.

3. Plant a bed of flowers or place a cluster of container plants near the fireplace. Use the same types of plants you already have growing for continuity. On chilly days, you're likely to sit close to the fire. Having plants nearby adds privacy and energy to the area.

4. Look for landscaping accessories to accent the fireplace, such as a birdbath, sundial or bench made of the same material or painted the same color. You can set the item near the fireplace if it suits the rest of the environment, or place it in the yard where it makes the most sense.

5. Paint clay pots the color of the fireplace. Adding a few potted plants around the immediate area where the fireplace sits is a subtle and easy way to complement the fireplace.

6. Lay gravel around the base of the fireplace to catch any stray embers. Spread the same gravel over a plant bed leading to the fireplace.

7. Set up an outdoor container fountain near the fireplace. The sounds of running water combined with the crackle of a fire provide a soothing, natural soundscape.

References

• Home Landscape Plan: Patio Ideas
• The Landscape Design Site: Fireplace

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Backyard Landscape Ideas: Outdoor Fireplaces