Within the last few years fire pits seem to be one of the latest garden gimmick fads.
First you saw fancy copper and metal ones in upscale garden boutique shops such as Smith and Hawkins then slowly they were infused into the lower markets such as Target, Home Cheapo and even K-Mart .
I admit it , I bought one several years ago at Target. It was a nice looking little unit made of a black metal and copper.
It was not plumbed for gas . It was a wood burning unit.
It looked very nice placed between two deep seated wicker chairs in amongst my Balinese inspired tropical garden.
I have used it about a dozen times or less in the two years that I have had it.
Though I haven't tossed a log into the fire pit over the entire summer I cannot bear to give it the boot.
It 'looks' inviting , even during the day, albeit it never really lives up to its intended function.
Recently I spent several nights at a house where they had a propane fired fire ring , ... and guess what ?..... we sat around it every night and enjoyed every moment of it.
So why don't I do the same at my own house I wondered ?
I think it has alot to do with the ease of turning a simple key at the base of the propane fed fire pit and throwing in a match vs. the time that it takes to locate/ gather some kindling ( I live in the suburbs ) and then stack the wood and actually 'make fire'. ( not an easy task to do for a city steeped goil )
I also seem to smell like a really ripe camp fire goil after sitting around a wood fired fire ring.
So as a landscape designer who doesn't like to waste my or my clients money my comment/ observance/ experience goes out to those who are contemplating purchasing or building a fire ring - think about the 'ease of convenience' and consider a propane fired fire ring vs. a wood fired unit.
In the long run you might get more actual usage out of it , especially if you live in the suburbs or a city setting.
Just a passing thought.
and yours ?
