Dargan Landscape Architects

Create Nourishing Flourishing Home Utopias

hardscape design ideas

Enhance Your Landscape with an Outdoor Fireplace or Fire Pit

An outdoor fireplace or fire pit is one of the most attractive, useful and special hardscape design features you can install in your backyard landscape. Why? Because they can be used year-round, become a part of your outdoor kitchen and be a spot where your family, friends and guests will make memories that last a lifetime.

There are so many different styles of outdoor fireplaces and fire pits, so we thought we we’d share some of them with you and discuss the best applications of each for your backyard.

Extend your outdoor living space
Oftentimes, we see outdoor fireplaces added directly to the perimeter landscape, which instantly increases the square footage of your home. Your fireplace can be built directly on the outside of your house, tying into an existing chimney system on the inside. Additional seating alongside the fireplace will enhance its function. You can also build a fireplace niche on a wall that extends adjacent to your home. This is ideal if you live in an area that’s windy or with close neighbors, in order to create a more private and sheltered courtyard area.

Atlanta landscape architects
Source: Pedersen Associates via Houzz

 

Atlanta GA landscape architects
Source: Cornerstone Architects via Houzz

Extend or link the perimeter
If you like the idea of having a fireplace or fire pit further away from your home, we recommend placing it on the extended perimeter of your patio or backyard border. This can be a wonderful way to use the perimeter to link one area of your yard to another.

Charleston landscape architects
Source: Mary Price via Houzz


landscape architects in Atlanta
Source: Simpson Design Group Architects via Houzz

A remote focal feature
Because outdoor fire pits tend to be late night congregation areas, many homeowners choose to keep the space removed from the main house. This helps buffer indoor occupants from late-night conversation and laughter. It also protects those around the fire from the glow of exterior house lights, creating a sense of privacy and a better view of the stars.

Cashiers landscape architects
Dargan Landscape Architects


Western NC landscape architects
Dargan Landscape Architects
Photo Featured in Lifelong Landscape Design

Adding a fireplace or fire pit to your outdoor landscape will provide enjoyable evenings for a lifetime and will also enhance the resale value of your home. If you’re ready to discuss adding a fireplace to your hardscape or a fire pit in your landscape master plan, contact Dargan Landscape Architects.

Integrating Hardscapes into Your Landscape with Ease

Hardscapes are important features of any landscape design. They offer benefits such as erosion control, less maintenance, increased property value, increased accessibility to gardens and water conservation. How do you go about integrating hardscapes into your landscape?

To achieve a cohesive and harmonious look between your hardscapes and landscape, use these helpful tips:

1. Use traditional design principles in non-traditional ways – While most of us don’t have very large properties or formal gardens anymore, techniques used in these types of spaces can still guide you today. When it comes to integrating hardscapes into your landscape, seek symmetrical balance, a timeless design principle. Create a generous path and place an equal number and type of plants on either side. The formal lines and balance of the arrangement can be updated with new materials and less formal plants for a more modern look.

Atlanta landscape design
Dargan Landscape Architects

2. Use repetition and rhythm to achieve balance – We’ve emphasized the importance of repetition and rhythm before, but it’s worth mentioning again because it’s a great technique for creating unity and cohesion. For example, to complement a linear hardscape, such as a sidewalk with a fence, place several different plantings at measured intervals to create rhythm. This will make the setting appear harmonious. Such a technique can also be used on walkways and stairs with plantings on two sides. By using the same plants on both sides, you achieve repetition and rhythm.

landscape architects in Atlanta
Source: The Design Build Company via Houzz

3. Let plants spill over onto the hardscape. Nothing makes a deck, patio or other hardscape look more natural than draping plantings around them. This technique also softens the harsh lines of hardscapes. Just be sure to maintain plantings, so they don’t become too overgrown!

Atlanta landscape architects
Source: Liquidscapes via Houzz

Looking for more hardscape inspiration? Check out photos of some of Dargan Landscape Architects’ hardscape projects on Facebook, and let us know which ones are your favorite.

If you’re in need of assistance in creating a new look for your landscape, contact us. Whether you need a master plan for your property or just a tune-up, Dargan Landscape Architects can help you find the timeless look you’ve always wanted for your landscape. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

Consider the Benefits of Hardscapes for Your Garden

There are many elements necessary for a gorgeous and functional landscape. Yes, features such as colorful plants, trees, benches, chairs and perhaps a fountain are a few of the necessities. But one area that’s often overlooked until winter sets in is the potential of hardscapes.

Hardscapes are just as important as the living portions of your landscape, especially for functionality. In some instances, hardscape surfaces, such as rock walls, create the backbone of your garden. Most often, hardscapes help define outdoor rooms of a home, creating a seamless transition into nature where homeowners can cook and host guests. These features also allow you to enjoy recreational activities or to just sit and take in the beauty of your surroundings. Still, in other cases, hardscaping can be used simply to enhance visual interest through texture, or to create symmetry or proportion within the parameters of the area.

Additional benefits of hardscaping that are often overlooked include:

  • Decreases erosion on properties with slopes and/or uneven soil
  • Increases property value
  • Requires less maintenance
  • Makes your landscape and garden areas more accessible to all guests
  • Reduces the amount of water needed to maintain your landscape

Below are a few examples of functional and beautiful hardscapes. Take a look and get inspired for your next hardscaping project!

Atlanta landscape architects
Project by Dargan Landscape Architects

In this project, we used a variety of stones to create a focal point that captures the eye through texture. The arched openings create the right amount of mystery to draw the viewer closer to the structure.

Cashiers landscape architect
Source: The Garden Consultants, Inc. via Houzz

The brick walls in this hardscape create a nice frame for the courtyard, as well as the woodland views beyond the fence.

designing a hardscape
Source: Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association via Houzz

We love the contrasting colors used in the bricks of this outdoor fireplace and patio design. What a cozy spot to enjoy a cool evening!

dargan landscape architects
Source: Harmony Design Group via Houzz

This hardscape design creates visual interest with terraces for plantings, while also controlling erosion.

hardscape design ideas
Source: Designing Nature Inc. via Houzz

In this design, a brick pathway adds a traditional element to a more contemporary garden. Notice how the layout of the bricks pulls your eye toward the center arrangement.

 

Are you considering an update to your current hardscape, or are you looking to incorporate a hardscape into your garden? Contact Dargan Landscape Architects today. We would love to discuss how we can help you achieve the perfect look for your garden, complete with a hardscape that balances the rest of your area. Give us a call at 404-231-3889 to schedule an appointment. We can work with you virtually or in person.