Living Large in a Small Yard

George wanted a fire pit that he could see from all over the backyard, so rather than opt for a flat-faced fireplace, he took a cue from the basic campfire. In a corner just off the upper patio, he created a grade-level river-rock-over-gravel "pit" ringed with granite boulders and furnished with a firewood grate for logs. The simple setup gets used year-round; grilling marshmallows has become a traditional Christmas treat. During a daytime event in the summer, Susan might switch out the iron grate for a container of flowers.