Landscaping With Fire-The human attraction to fire seems to be hard-wired. Fire tends to draw people like magnets. Fire also serves a functional purpose in climates that can get cooler at night. There are several options if you are looking to incorporate fire into your outdoor landscaping. You build fireplaces that burn real wood or use inexpensive Mexican-style chimaeras (these are clay-wood burning stoves that are found at most garden centers). One of the benefits of chimaeras is that they radiate a tremendous amount of heat, and they tend to be a little safer than fire pits. In fact fire in landscaping has become so popular that many design experts feel that fire has revolutionized the outdoor living market over the last five years. For those wishing to use a less permanent solution they may want to consider a portable fire pit. There are literally hundreds of different choices from iron chimaeras, stone fire pits, polished fire bowls, tables with fire at their centers (that burn wood, natural gas, or propane). There are options for any pocketbook. In climates where raw heat is less of an issue having fire in your outdoor space can serves as a gathering point for your outdoor entertaining. People tend to gather around the fire so be sure your design incorporates it as a focal point.

 Landscaping With Water-If you choose this element to landscape with it is important to understand that water in an outdoor landscape plays a different role from that of fire. People circulate around water, you encounter it, but you generally don't gather around it. Having water in the landscape softens the environment and gently reflects its surroundings, including the sky, which can give a small space a feeling of grandeur. Running water can soothe the psyche and dampens unwanted noise such as auto traffic. Budget, space and environment help determine what style of water element you bring to your outdoor area. For example-If you are in a wooded area, you may want to choose a stream and waterfall in an urban environment a fountain might be more appropriate. If you want to add an exotic flair you may want to add a koi pond or even a birdbath with running water. Ambitious landscapers may even want to take on the design of a miniature wildlife sanctuary, complete with a stream, waterfall, and pond. The idea is to weave the water into the landscape, designing the elements in such a way that they complement nature and adding arresting visuals and sounds to the surrounding terrain.

It is important to keep in mind that if you are choosing between water and fire for your own outdoor room, remember that water elements in a yard generally require more maintenance than fire pits or fireplaces. The pumps in ponds and fountains will need regular inspection and still water might need occasional skimming and cleaning. Also it is important to remember that if you've got a fish pond, you should install a bubbler to oxygenate the water during cold winters.