The first thing I had to do was scroll back to find out where you live. I want one!!!

This is gorgeous. It's amazing. I love how you incorporated space for the firewood as well.

A couple questions - how far is this from your house? I have been thinking about a fire pit and wondered where to place it. This is just so beautiful, I think I'd want it close enough that I'd see it all the time.

It's about 100 ft. behind my house in the woods. You can see my neighbor's white house in the last picture. My house is about the same distance away. I can see glimpses of the fire pit from my house, but I don't really want to see more. I like the natural woods. It comes right up to the back of the house. I'll try to remember to take a picture tomorrow when it's light out.

I remember seeing this when it was only partially built. Let me say again that I love what you did with the retaining walls.

Nice to hear from you again; I just referred someone to your photos a little while ago. Nice work as usual!

KarinL

Seeing how beautiful your woods are *almost* makes me miss the brush I had removed from mine last fall. Except your brush is nice looking evergreens, and mine was all chokecherry, poison ivy, and other plants that made a tick-highway into our yard (and onto us, the cat, the dog ...)

You really have an eye for this stuff, the plantings around the pit & patio are so natural looking. I hope that when I add back in some (attractive) understory plants on my yard I can achieve results half as good as this.

Do you do this for a living? If not, you could!

Pam, this beautiful work took a lot of time. Note the growth of the trees and the addition of houses in the background. Making it economically feasible is another thing entirely.

That's what makes this special. He did it himself with a minimum amount of money and a lot of thought, work, and time.

Like others, I have followed this project from the beginning. Way to go, Jugglerguy!
Mike

Thanks for the compliments, everyone.

Mike, you're correct that I couldn't do this for a price than anyone could afford. I work very slowly! However, the before picture is misleading. It was taken a few years ago, I just forgot to take one immediately before starting. The first two pictures are roughly the same shot. The spruce tree to the right and behind the fire pit is the same tree, but with about 6 years of growth. The houses were all there when I started. I began this project last spring so it took me about a year and a half. By the way, Pam, I'm a math teacher with some time on my hands during the summer.

Here's a picture from my back door, Pam. The fire pit is above the birdbath in the picture. It shows up a little more in real life.
{{gwi:41697}}

I keep thinking how far you had to transport those rocks once they were in your driveway. Not only the distance, but it looks like it's uphill!

I did a lot of rock work in thirty plus years of landscaping. People were always surprised how much more it cost for rock work in the backyard vs a wall and outcroppings next to the driveway in the front yard. Access makes the difference.
Mike

Moving the rocks to the back yard wasn't too bad, but I guess it did add some work. I gathered the rocks myself from rock piles in farm fields. I spent tons of time searching for rocks with fairly flat tops and bottoms. I then rolled or lifted them into the back of my Jeep and drove them home. After all the searching, loading, and driving, the wagon trips to the back yard didn't seem so bad. It probably would have been cheaper to buy a pickup rather than make so many trips with my Jeep!

I just completed my version of a fire pit in my backyard. I cleared out a very weedy flower bed. Check it out!

Thanks!

http://carnoustielane.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-diy-fire-pit-with-river-rocks.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Fire Pit with River Rocks

GREAT job. It's beautiful! Now I'm itching to get to work in our backyard...but no rock-hauling for me for a bit. (DeQuervain's tendonitis...I'm in a brace.) Still...your post gives me inspiration. Is that wall drystacked--or mortared? I need some retaining walls in the backyard...

Beautiful! We're just starting on a landscape project and were just talking about sitting walls and benches yesterday. Love your benches!

Smiles... ribidibi

Mjsee, the wall is dry stacked, but the fire pit is mortared. I'll put a link at the bottom of this message to the stone forum discussion with lots of construction pictures.

My wife ordered the benches from an Internet site fo $70 each. They're not super high quality, but they're ok. I can ask her for the address of the site if you're interested.

Here is a link that might be useful: Stone forum discussion