If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I’m in the process of replacing the “grass/weeds” in the mowed portion of my yard with anything besides plants that require mowing.
So far I’ve converted a large portion of the yard into beds for perennials by smothering the lawn with plastic then mulching with leaves. I’ve planted all kinds of shrubs, trees, perennials and herbs in these beds and yesterday one of my market customers gave me a garbage bag full of asparagus roots that she was tired of mowing around. I know where they’re going!
One of the areas that doesn’t need mowing anymore is a fire pit that’s 15-20 feet in diameter. I built a ring for the actual fire, then around it I placed flat stones (thanks, Shane!) on top of landscape fabric. Then I waited for a load of pretty gravel to fall out of the sky to fill in between the flat stones.
Didn’t happen until I gave a dump truck driver $90 and a stone company $240. Then a load of pretty brown gravel was dumped in my driveway, some of which ended up in the virgin fire pit, along the pathway through the not-quite-finished arbor, around the parking area in the driveway, and eventually some will go to the Empire of the Happy Hens to keep my feet out of the mud this winter.
I had been saving the virgin fire pit for a gathering of friends to celebrate the first fire…..I waited and waited and could never find the time to get everything in place to have that bunch of folks over. So, about 2 weeks ago, on a perfectly awesome summer evening, it happened…..I couldn’t wait any longer…. I lit the fire
It was awesome! There are four concrete benches around the pit and I sat on every one of them. A different perspective from every direction.
I believe that if you are able to have an open fire where you live, you MUST have a fire pit, even if it’s one of those pre-made metal ones. There’s just something magical about a fire….
Unless it’s your house, of course.
Wild Things Farm 