Rehabbing my crappy fire pit patio area took 3 seasons: fall, winter, and spring. A LONG time.
The main reason? I wanted the backyard soil frozen solid to support the tree demolition equipment. A dead ~70-foot sweet gum tree, after all, is not something you cut down without a LOT of exceptionally-qualified professional tree removal help. And today, I’m happy to show my before-and-after photos of the paver patio area – flanked by 2 beautiful [pruned and gorgeous] Hinoki cypress, complemented with a large volume of lush and blooming hydrangeas, and anchored via a now-focal maple tree that’s been professionally re-shaped and pruned up high… so my ‘sometimes-pyro’ tendencies with that new fire pit are less likely to burn my house down!
Once you scan my photos just below, I’ll show the impressive tree demo shots – and then get to the fire pit patio ‘finishing touches’ (patio furnishings and décor) we made this spring.
Paver Fire Pit Patio Area – Today
Paver Fire Pit Patio Area – Last Fall
For the full ‘before photo’ collection along with much of the hardscape clean-up effort, please see the original article from last fall, rehabbing my crappy fire pit patio. But even if you only compare the three photos to follow with the three above, you can see the difference, right?? 😉
Tree Demolition Photos
I’m not going to say too many words, here, but rather annotate a few of the shots that follow as I think they speak for themselves.
Our tree demolition and pruning crew was exceptional.
And with trees of this size – that’s critical. I’m intentionally showing the name of the company and their phone number below, and no, this is not a paid advertisement. They simply did an outstanding job, and I’ll hire them again. If you’re near the Jersey Shore, call and ask for Victor. If you’re not near the Jersey Shore – you can search for a local tree professional at this link here if you like.
Our dead sweet gum tree – a freezing cold and beautifully clear February morning…
The tree demolition crew arrives minutes after taking the shot above…
And over the next few hours, that dead sweet gum comes down – piece by piece, from the bottom up initially…
Then from the top down…
The clean-up then follows with lots more wood chipping and stump grinding…
Paver Fire Pit Area Finishing Touches
Here again, not too many words to say – I’ll rely on the photos mostly, but I’ll also add a few Amazon links (and images) in case you want to see more about what we used and did.
Patio Furniture and Seat Cushions
We upgraded the paver patio chair cushions, and we’re NEVER going to make the mistake of leaving them outside again. (They go out when we go out. The birds and pollen destroyed the first set quite quickly.) And speaking of outdoor deck, pool, and patio furniture in general – we’ve had very good experiences with purchases via Amazon. (Tied to the buyer reviews, of course.)
LED Tiki Torches
Tiki Torches? Yup – I ‘m a big fan. We had a big surprise party for my wife’s birthday a few years back, and I bought some fire-burning torches. SUPER cool. But, well, they can start a fire. Of late – we’ve moved toward the LED powered Tiki torches. They charge all day and look IMPRESSIVELY like real fire torches at night. All night…
Propane and Wood Burning Fire Pits
You need to have one of these, of course. And here again, there are many GREAT options for both wood-burning and propane fire pits online. (Life has gotten so much easier when shopping for items like these online the past few years, I truly believe.)
The Ultimate Backyard Tiki Area?
Now, a buddy of mine took his backyard ‘fire pit area’ to a whole different level. This summer, he texted me the image below, with the words: “Ready when you are, Russo.” I still have to get over there to check this out in person. And perhaps ‘partake’ a bit. But as you can see, I may need a doctor afterwards. Or… an ambulance??
Any other backyard fire pit or ‘otherwise cool outdoor decorating ideas’ anyone can share below??
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