Cool Nights are Coming; Consider a Fire Pit

It seems funny to be writing this on a day when a lot of us are suffering through a heat wave, but it is September now, and hopefully our nights will be cooler soon! One way to extend the season for enjoying company outside is by adding a fire pit to your yard. Not only will it keep you toasty, but you can make S'mores while you socialize.

Fire pits have a long history in American Landscape Architecture. Jens Jensen, one of the preeminent landscape architects in our history, often placed a "council ring" in his designs. This design had its roots in the history of Native Americans, and the Dutch-born landscape architect thought that they were very American - rooted in the history of its native people and a very democratic setting. He felt that seating everyone at an equal height in a circle (no head of the table) put everyone in an equal position. These circles were the perfect venue for talking, dancing, stories, music, etc.

In fact, the grounds of Martha Stewart's Skylands estate in Maine were originally designed by Jensen. While the original owners decided not to install the council ring into the design, Martha went ahead after finding the original plans and had it installed. I'd say that's a ringing endorsement!