Hot Outdoor Fireplace Trends

This year, especially, we are all looking for ways to be outdoors as much as possible. Sitting by a fire outside is a great way to spend time with friends and family even as the temperatures dip. If you’d like to warm things up in your landscaping, here are the latest outdoor fireplace trends: 

Indoor Style, Outdoor Location

One of the hottest outdoor fireplace trends is bringing the quality and range of styles available for interior hearths outside. You can choose a direct-vent or vent-free fireplace for your outdoor living space. If you’re looking for a fireplace you can put anywhere outside, a vent-free unit is a good choice. With vent-free, there’s no need for a chimney or a place to run a vent. The gasses produced by combustion in a vent-free fireplace safely disperse outdoors.  

You can choose to mix things up: If your indoor fireplace is more traditional in style, a more contemporary look outdoors could be a nice change of pace. Or you can match your indoor and outdoor styles for a seamless feel. Most of our clients wrap their outdoor fireplaces or fire pits in stone or brick, whatever they feel complements their home’s exterior finish or other hardscaping elements they might have.  

One of the recent outdoor fireplace trends involves flames on a small scale: gas-fueled torches or fire vessels. Units on the market now might be tiki-style torches, traditional lanterns or stylish fire bowls. Whatever you choose, these elements’ dancing flames provide light and an inviting ambiance. 

Gas Beats Out Wood

Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits traditionally burned wood. If you have easy access to firewood and kindling, wood can be the way to go. Today most homeowners choose the ease and convenience of natural gas to fuel their outdoor fireplaces or fire pits. 

With a gas line run to the fireplace or fire pit, starting and extinguishing a fire is push-button easy. And you don’t have to worry about sparks or getting rid of ashes. Another benefit to natural gas is that the line can be split to fuel both a fireplace and a  gas grill. 

Whichever fuel you choose, the warmth and glow of an outdoor fire are sure to be crowd pleasers. 

Incorporating Outdoor Fireplace Trends

Most of our clients choose to include a fireplace or fire pit in their landscaping. A popular choice is to add a hearth to an outdoor living space lined with pavers. Some clients prefer a fire pit that’s set off on the property on a bed of gravel. Low walls surrounding a pit can provide extra seating. 

Take your time to research outdoor fireplace options or tap into our years of expertise. Give us a call today to set up a no-obligation consultation and let’s turn up the heat in your yard!  

Making a Splash: Cincinnati Pool Landscaping

For their spacious lot near Lebanon, Ohio, the owners of this new construction home could picture a luxurious oasis in their backyard. With a comprehensive design by Seiler’s Landscaping, the pool landscaping for their Hensley Custom Building Group home is big and beautiful.  

The Big Picture 

Overall, the expansive pool deck is lined with travertine to create a seamless outdoor space. Stone stairs lead down the sloping site from the side yard. The home’s screened outdoor living space (on the left in the photo above) looks over the pool landscaping designed for fun and entertainment. 

Turning Up the Drama

Dancing flames bring warmth and dramatic flare to the space. A pair of fire vessels flank the raised seating area that sits just above the spa and pool beyond. These vessels feature gas flames with a dramatic waterfall below that helps recirculate water in the pool.

On one end of the outdoor living space, a generous fire pit creates a place for friends to gather. A retaining wall defines the space and shelters it from the wind. 

The fire pit, constructed of natural stone and travertine, provides a long view of the entire pool area and the back exterior of the home.

Natural limestone steps lead from the side yard down to the pool area and outdoor living space. 

Lighting It Up

The landscape design for this outdoor living space includes a complete lighting plan. LED colored underwater lights give the pool a beautiful glow. The homeowners can choose from a wide range of colors to suit their mood or the occasion. Path lights, spotlights, lights mounted under steps and underwater pool lights work together to make the whole space welcoming after the sun goes down.

Your Cincinnati Pool Landscaping Ideas

Whether you’re building a new home or are planning to add a pool or outdoor living space to your current home, we would be happy to hear your ideas. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. 

Paw Patrol: Landscaping for Dogs

If there’s a dog (or two) in your family, you know how much they love to be outdoors. Whether you have a new home or are looking to refresh your yard, landscaping for dogs is easy.

You can have a great looking yard and happy pups, too. Here are a few tips:  

Seeing Spot’s Spots?

When landscaping for dogs, one thing to consider is the issue of dog urine leaving “burned” areas in the grass. Solutions for this problem can include: 

• Using a more hardy type of grass

• Creating a fenced “dog toilet” with artificial turf

• Providing areas for your dog to relieve himself that are lined with stones or mulch instead of grass

Dog paths can leave bare patches in the lawn, too. An attractive way to deal with these “runways” when landscaping for dogs is to use stepping stone pavers to create a walkway. If you fence part of your yard to keep the dog out, we would recommend a flagstone path along the fence instead of grass. If your dog isn’t one to chew rocks, gravel borders along fences are also an option.

Can You Dig It? 

Whether you have a puppy, a breed that loves to dig or just a dog that’s bored, you may have a yard full of craters. When creating landscaping for dogs, we can set aside an area filled with sand, mulch or soft soil that’s specifically meant for digging. You can encourage your dog to dig in the space by hiding dog toys there. Praising Fifi for only using that area to dig can help her learn to leave other areas alone.

Give Them Shelter

Whatever style you choose, a doghouse can add charm and a protected spot for your dog to lounge. As we design your landscaping, let us know if you’d like to include a doghouse or other dog shelter. If your goal is to create summer shade for your dog, we can also select appropriate plants or trees to include in your design.

The War on Mud

For many dog families, mud that gets tracked into the house is a constant issue. A large patio near your door could cut down on muddy paws. Finding ways to vary your dog’s path around the yard can also help preserve grass and decrease mud. 

Healthy and Happy

Landscaping for dogs means you can enjoy time outside with your pet without worrying. As we design your landscape, tell us about your pets so we choose plants that are dog-friendly. You might also want us to include a pet watering spot, a paw-washing station or an area where you can play fetch.   

As dog owners, we understand that it’s important to consider every member of the family when designing the perfect landscape. If you’re dealing with pet damage to your yard or just planning to update your landscaping, contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Retaining Walls and New Construction Landscaping

Cincinnati is known for its seven hills, and many new home buyers in our area have to deal with hilly, sloped lots. Luckily, the solution is simple: In new construction landscaping, retaining walls can be life savers.

Landscaping Superheroes

Retaining walls look beautiful, but they are also tough and strong. Holding back literally tons of soil requires brawn and a bit of engineering. For a very steep slope, a single retaining wall might be sufficient. Another option for a steep slope is to build a series of walls to create tiers or terraces. These level areas can be used for flower beds, patios or lawn.

Retaining walls may look simple, but making sure they are stable requires some engineering. Particularly with new construction, builders often need to cut into a slope to ensure a level area for the new house. To keep that disrupted slope from eroding or sliding, a retaining wall or walls will be necessary. Walls over three or four feet should be designed by someone with experience in specifying the appropriate reinforcement and choosing the proper materials.

Anatomy of a Retaining Wall  

Typically, retaining walls, like those found in new construction landscaping, start with a base layer of sand and crushed stone. This layer is tamped down either by hand or machine to be compact and level. If this base layer is not leveled, building a level wall is impossible. The first stones, blocks or other wall materials are stacked on top of the base layer. 

Behind the wall, on the slope side, drainpipe (sometimes called drain tile) is installed to move water away from the wall. Layers of gravel above and below the pipe allow water to filter down to the pipe. The gravel also helps the wall stand up to the pressure of the heavy soil behind it. For walls over 3 feet tall, we use a geogrid mesh that helps stabilize the wall. The geogrid ties all the layers of fill together into one reinforced mass and is installed according to engineering specifications. 

Another way to allow for drainage is to insert small diameter pipes between the first course of the wall’s stones or blocks. This pipe, set perpendicular to the wall, moves water from behind the wall out to the face of the wall and away. 

A properly installed retaining wall will be level, but will angle slightly back toward the hillside. This backward angle toward the slope of the site helps minimize soil pressure on the wall. Finally, the wall may be topped with a larger capstone.

Getting the Look

You’ll find a range of styles for retaining walls in new construction landscaping. Walls can be curved or straight and can vary in height. Your landscape designer can help you choose between brick, stone, blocks or even wood. Wall materials can match or complement the colors of other hardscaping materials used in your new construction landscaping. Topping walls with a flat capstone can create a place to sit or a ledge for flowering containers.

Retaining walls add character, dimension and interest to landscaping. As a final touch, spotlights or uplights can make them stand out at night and call attention to their beautiful texture.

New Construction Landscaping Ideas

Whether you’re building a new home or are looking to refresh your current landscaping, we would be happy to hear your ideas. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Party Central: Outdoor Living Space Project Management

After living in their brand new house for several years, the homeowners had outgrown the small, kidney-shaped patio off the screened porch. Instead, they envisioned a place where they could serve meals, socialize and spend time as a family and with friends. They called on Will Seiler and our team for outdoor living space project management.

Completing the project just in time for a pandemic that would make outdoor living more important than ever turned out to be perfect timing.

The outdoor living area is made up of four distinct spaces: A fire pit area, a grilling island with bar, a dining area and a covered seating area. It’s all just steps away from the home’s screened porch and kitchen.

Low stone walls faced with U-Cara stone block from Unilock define the perimeter of the fire pit and provide extra seating for larger get-togethers.

Topped with black granite, the grilling island and bar includes a built-in grill and refrigerator, sourced from SiteOne Landscape Design. Its location gives the “grill master” a view of the fire pit, sitting area and the deep backyard.

Stone block walls blend seamlessly with the patio’s Beacon Hill pavers from Unilock. Across from the fire pit, the covered seating area offers a comfy spot to unwind, day or night.

A flagstone path leads friends and guests from the side of the house to the twinkling lights and warm welcome of the backyard.

Outdoor Living Space Project Management

At Seiler’s Landscaping, we love working with homeowners to design and install outdoor living spaces that fill all their needs. If you’re imagining what your backyard could look like, tell us about it. We would be honored to discuss your options for expanding your living space to the great outdoors.

Indian Hill Curb Appeal Grows with Landscape Updating

Like all living things, landscaping grows and evolves. Fifteen years ago when this beautiful Indian Hill home was just a sketch on paper, this property was heavily wooded. During construction some of the site was cleared. Over the years, the homeowners have relied on us at Seiler’s Landscaping for landscape updating to keep their house feeling cozy and natural on its site.

Thinking Big

There’s nothing like big trees and mature plant materials to instantly make landscaping look established. The goal is to make an immediate impact and not wait around for Mother Nature to do her work. Working with an organized landscape plan, we chose a variety of trees and shrubs to bring in textures and colors. 

Plant materials are a vital part of a landscape updating, but hardscaping is critical, too. To add multiple levels and depth to the landscape design, our crews built curving walls from rough-cut limestone. These walls define the planting beds and, in some places, create added seating into the landscaping.

One special spot in the landscaping is the pond. Lovely to look at, the pond also provides the relaxing sound of falling water. Its location in the backyard bridges the space between two outdoor living areas and creates an interesting destination and gathering space. 

A whimsical statue of a young girl with a net perches on a rock overlooking the rippled pond. The statue’s beautiful patina adds a bit of color to the area, even in the winter. 

In a planting bed across the yard, another statue of a child feeding the birds is set against a background of boxwoods and opposite an ornamental Japanese maple tree

Stepping down from the main deck, a gurgling creek that leads to the pond follows alongside you as you walk down a stone path. Flagstone walkways throughout the property connect the outdoor spaces in a natural, subtle way.

Curved beds filled with rounded shrubs and blooming annuals create islands in the lush lawn and give the eyes a place to rest.

Just one of the benefits of a thoughtful landscape design is having a delightful mix of colors and textures. Here, shades of yellow-green play off the reddish tones of a Japanese maple.

Ongoing Landscape Updating

Continued work on this landscaping is rewarding for Seiler’s. “We try to walk the property with the homeowners twice a year, looking to stay ahead of property improvements and plan enhancements,” Will Seiler explains. “Regular check-ins allow us to manage growth.” With regular landscape updating, the homeowners will always be able to enjoy the beauty of their surroundings.  

Ready to start a landscape updating project of your own? Contact us today for a no-obligation consultation.

Cincinnati Landscaping with Timeless Elegance

After falling in love with an English garden at Lillianfels Resort and Spa in Australia, Debe and Lou Terhar decided to bring it home to Cincinnati, landscaping their West Side home to echo the resort’s garden. (To see “before” photos and the original resort garden, click here.) 

After conferring with Will Seiler and months of landscape design and construction, their home now overlooks a timeless and formal space, just steps away from their pool. Benches and chairs allow them to sit and enjoy the garden. With the project complete, the couple asked Seiler’s to update their front yard landscaping as well. 

Order and Symmetry 

Wrought iron trellises form archways that lead into the garden. The trellises in the Australian garden were covered with white roses. For Cincinnati landscaping, the Terhars will have white clematis twining around their arches. 

A large fountain is the centerpiece of the classically symmetrical garden. The fountain was handcrafted locally by Renaissance Garden Ornament. 

Flagstone paths lead to gravel-lined walkways that meet in a circular pattern around the garden beds filled with boxwoods and ornamental trees.

In the front of the home, a circular bed echoes the English garden in the backyard and complements the Georgian style of the Terhars’ home. 

David Hupman, general manager of Seiler’s Landscaping, worked closely with the Terhars to create the front yard landscaping. In the center of the front bed, gravel paths lead to a planter bowl on a pedestal that contains a shaped topiary. 

As the garden continues to fill in, hydrangeas and other white flowers, Korean lilacs and coral bells all will bloom as a beautiful reminder of a favorite vacation spot.  

Cincinnati Landscaping Dream to Reality

Inspiration for your yard can come from something in your neighborhood or from a place halfway around the world. If you’d like to transform your Cincinnati Landscaping, we would be happy to schedule a no-obligation consultation. 

Seiler's Landscaping: New Logo, Same Commitment to You

Now a second-generation family-run business, Seiler’s Landscaping has been serving the Greater Cincinnati area since 1977. As we move forward in our fifth decade, we’re excited to roll out a new look with an updated logo.  

Based on an original design lovingly created by our founder's sister, Sally Wehrman, the redesigned logo still features an iconic tree. We like to think it symbolizes both new growth and the importance of being strongly rooted in tradition. After all, our clients have always relied on us for superior work, top-quality plants and dedication to customer service. 

 Be on the lookout for our new logo here on the website, on Facebook and other social media. As the year goes on, we’ll roll the new branding out on signs, trucks and our uniforms. 

 Thanks to you, our loyal clients, for our continued partnership. Here’s to the next 43 years!

What's Burning? Three Types of Fire Pits

There’s just something about a backyard fire that brings people together. Many outdoor living space designs now include a fire pit. Here’s a look at the three types of fire pits based on what kind of fuel they burn: wood, ethanol or natural gas/propane.

Wood Is a Classic Choice

Whether it’s a simple, portable bowl or a permanent installation, a wood burning fire pit creates the classic sight, feel, sound and smell of a campfire. If you have easy access to logs and kindling—along with some fire-starting know-how—wood can be a great choice. Built-up stone walls and a mesh screen cover can help reduce flying sparks.

Choose this type of fire pit and you’ll have the added bonus of coals for roasting marshmallows.

Photo courtesy of EcoSmart Fire (www.ecosmartfire.com)

Ethanol for Your Fire Pit

Ethanol is a clean-burning biofuel that can be used to light some types of fire tables, vessels or pits. The benefits to ethanol are that it lights quickly and doesn’t create any smoke, ash or flying embers. Because it’s supplied in tanks or as a gel, no gas line is required, as with natural gas fueled units. Unfortunately, ethanol is not widely available and the flame created tends to be fairly small.

Fire Up with Natural Gas or Propane

If you want the beauty and warmth of fire and ease of use, a natural gas or propane fire pit might be best for you. Ignition is easy: Just push a button and you’ll have dancing flames. Gas-fueled units can take many forms, from vessels to fire tables to more traditional-looking fire pits.

To finish your gas-fueled fire pit, you can choose lava-type rocks, crushed glass or a set of ceramic gas logs. Log sets (like the one shown below) come in a variety of styles and are meant to be viewed from all angles, making them perfect for gathering around.

Photo courtesy of Hargrove (www.hargrovegaslogs.com)

Choosing from Three Types of Fire Pits

Sorting through all the options for a fire pit can feel overwhelming. We’re happy to help you design the perfect spot for you to enjoy evenings outside with friends and family. Just contact us for a consultation.