Landscaping for Outdoor Living

Annie, guest blogger for this post, recently went through the process of choosing to do a DIY project or hiring professional design and build services for her family’s outdoor living space. Right now is a great time to add features to your yard. Let us know if we can help design the perfect outdoor living space for you!

Patios, Pavers and Pits — Oh my!

Minnesotans know how to savor every moment of good weather we are given, almost as a survival tool to withstand the long and snowy winters. It only makes sense then to be able to turn your yard into an outdoor living room for the other three seasons of the year. In order to enjoy your yard and landscaping, you must have a “pit” (not cherry or peach, mind you). We are not talking about digging a pit in the ground for a fire as was the way of old. We are talking along the lines of a beautiful, modern fire element, a hearth complete with chimney, a classic circular brick or stone ring or even a wood burning pizza oven!

How do you build your own? Well, here is a list of items that you need to purchase if you are a DIY’er:

• stacked stone
• 2X4 pressure-treated lumber
• concrete foundation
• concrete cinder blocks
• backer board
• screws
• mortar
• trowel
• tape measure
• pencil
• notepad
• nail gun
• nails
• drill
• screws
• chop saw
• shovel
• chimney cap
• protective gloves
• screwdriver
• masonry anchors or bits

I tapped out at mortar and trowel since we would like to enjoy a relaxing fire sometime this decade, we opted not to go the DIY method. Something about an expert designer and team creating a custom fire ring or fireplace and chimney seems like a better (and safer!) option. The team at Magnolia first and foremost knows about placement (each city or county has different laws about where you can have an outdoor fire in relation to structures and property lines).

Because of the questions they asked us, they also knew best what designs to recommend that will work for our family and lifestyle. Perhaps most important of all, their skilled masonry team knows how to contain a fire and keep it contained. And, as you can see, they can design for the look and feel that blends with your home and yard (unlike the cookie cutter kits that are out there). So, Minnesota, enjoy the great outdoors even in your own yard with the relaxation that can only come as you listen to the crackle of the embers, your eyelids get heavy watching the flames dance and your hands are still delightfully sticky from the s’more remnants on your fingers.