To add a touch of life indoors, we bring in gifts from Mother Nature. Houseplants, fresh-cut flowers and herb gardens create a sense of calm and provide a punch of color, fragrance and flavor. The reverse works, too: Nonliving accessories can add life outdoors.

By incorporating the elements of fire, water and stone, nonliving accessories such as fire pits, fountains and stone-carved statues can add interest to a garden and liven up the space.

We asked local gardening and landscape pros to share with us the top trends they are seeing in outdoor living.

Fire pits

“The hottest trend in the industry right now is the additions of fire pits to outdoor living areas,” said Patrick Flanagan, landscape manager and designer at Knollwood Garden and Landscaping Center in Beavercreek. “They are tough to beat for adding long-term interest and lots of great memories. If you are looking to install a new patio area, you can easily incorporate a more permanent fire pit into it with a seating wall, or you can use a more mobile one that can be moved to different sections of the outdoor living space.”

“Fire pits can be either natural gas, propane or my favorite, wood burning,” said Jeff Dorton, landscape designer and salesman at Berns Garden Center and Landscaping in Middletown and Beavercreek.

Water features

To upgrade your garden from a simple outdoor space to a rejuvenating oasis, just add water.

“Fountains have gained in popularity because the flowing or trickling water provides serenity and gentle motion to the garden setting and an escape from reality,” said Marybeth Taggart, advertising manager for Grandma’s Gardens and Landscape in Waynseville. “After a hard day at work or just to wind down after a stressful day, a visit to a lush garden with a relaxing fountain is like having a spa in your own backyard.”

With so many options, adding a water feature to a garden depends on your personal style, available garden space and desired level of upkeep.

“Water features run the spectrum from simple concrete fountains all the way to elaborate ponds with waterfalls,” Dorton said.

Knowing your water feature’s power source will narrow down the selection.

“When choosing a fountain, think about where your electrical source is. It is not safe to have fountains hooked up to extension cords where the connections are exposed to the weather,” said Kathy Matousch, manager at Siebenthaler’s in Centerville.

Durability is also important.

“The resin fountains are nice and most of the time have a good price point,” said Jacob Stockslagers of Stockslager’s Greenhouse and Garden Center in New Lebanon.

“But concrete fountains will last much longer than the resin ones.”

Boulders

To add some architectural interest, get ready to rock.

“Adding boulders to your landscaping is a great way to give it a natural structure. Boulders can be a single accent, or they can be installed as a natural-looking retaining wall complete with plant pockets,” Dorton said.

“Flagstone walkways through your gardens are also a very nice addition. They are an attractive way to take up some space if you are looking to cut down a little on your planting areas, too,” Flanagan said.

Stone is also a great option for long-lasting outdoor furniture.

“Much of our best selling garden furniture and garden art is made of granite.

“Natural cuts of stone for tabletops and bench tops and cut boulders for stools and bench legs are very popular as the finishing touch for the landscape,” Taggart said.

Garden art

Incorporating garden art is another way to personalize your outdoor space.

“Pot stickers, statuary, wind chimes, bottle trees, shepherd’s hooks, small decorative fencing, rain gauges, garden markers to identify plants or with inspirational sayings, baker’s racks for the patio. There are gorgeous pictures for patio walls that are weather resistant and metal art for the privacy fence.

“All of these fall into the category of garden art,” Matousch said.

“Concentrate on one or two particular areas in the yard where you would like to place an item amongst the plants ... something that is whimsical, or colorful or inspirational or just fun.”