Desert Landscaping Is The Carefree Solution For Your Backyard Fire Pit

A backyard fire pit can be one of the most perfect ways to cozy up your outdoor spaces and make them feel more like an extension of the inside of your home. Finding the perfect pit and choosing amongst materials like stone, iron, or ceramic can be challenging, but even more challenging is how to style your fire pit area in the context of your backyard. While options will vary according to climate location and the sort of landscape your fire pit inhabits, a great suggestion is turning the area around your firepit into a desert oasis, complete with flowering cacti and succulents.

Whether you live in the high desert, where the design will blend seamlessly into the surroundings, or just want a distinctive look for your outdoor fire pit area, this approach can be a beautiful way to highlight this area of your yard as well as separate it from other zones. Not only can these plants usually survive dry and arid temperatures that accompany the area of a fire pit without getting dried out, but they are — should fire escape the pit — generally less brush-like and liable to burn. They can be planted in sand, gravel, or pebbles which also help with fireproofing the area around the pit.

To create a desert oasis around your firepit, keep in mind natural and rugged neutrals as the central concept while bringing in pops of color that one might find in the desert or a desert sunrise. Employ rich elements like pebbles and sand as your base to place the firepit atop. This will keep fires from causing damage to your yard and also make a great surface for seating. It will prevent the area around the pit from harboring rainwater and can keep chair legs from sinking into the muddy ground. For the pit itself, choose a model like a rustic metal bowl or stylish stone fire pit, or incorporate a steel or terracotta chiminea for true desert style. You can also choose a mid-century modern look with a flagstone fireplace and surrounding surface.

Great planting options for this fire pit idea include large or small succulents that require little care in terms of feeding and watering. They also do not need to be pruned back very much in a given year. Other great options for the firepit area include sedum, aloe plants, saguaro, snake plants, prickly pears, and agave plants, all of which can grow to be quite full and beautiful. For privacy, use taller bushes of yucca, drought-resistant bougainvillea, or beautiful blooming desert willows. You can even create a prickly plant privacy fence around the area. Of course, make sure to check which plants will work best in your growing zone.

Add a little more southwest desert charm by choosing furniture in rich warm woods with blankets and throw cushions in southwest patterns with a lot of color and texture. Wide stone or wood benches can also be great for defining the area and adding extra seating to the space.