This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Create an Outdoor Firepit This Year for Lasting Memories

Do-it-yourself landscaping tips/resources from the VP and professionals at Patio Town in Oakdale, Burnsville and Brooklyn Park and its design/build division, Villa Landscapes, located at each store.

April is National Landscape Architecture Month!

One of my favorite outdoor landscape features is a firepit. According to a recent survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects, 97 percent of respondents identified a firepit or fireplace as an in-demand item for 2013.

An outdoor fire feature is great for a chilly spring day, summer evening or fall morning. Even in the winter you can gather around the fire with hot chocolate just like at the ski area. Firepits are easy to build yourself from rock, stone and block.

Find out what's happening in Oakdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A few simple steps are involved. After you identify where you want your firepit, you’ll need something to mark your circle. You can use a stake with a string and chalk attached on the end or use a fire ring insert as a guide. For tools, you’ll need a shovel and a level. For leveling and filling, you’ll need crushed rock and sand.

Andrew, the assistant manager at Patio Town Brooklyn Park/Maple Grove, shows you in this YouTube video how easy it is to make a firepit. In the video you can also see our popular Ledgestone Fire Ring Kit next to the one Andrew builds using pavers. The Ledgestone kit comes with everything you need (except for the shovel and level) and is ideal for the do-it-yourselfer. Don’t let another season go by without an outdoor firepit!

Find out what's happening in Oakdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For a more ambitious D-I-Y project, the Ledgestone Outdoor Living Room Kit comes complete with materials for 14-foot diameter patio, seat wall and fire ring plus installation guides, edging and adhesive. Additional installation seminars are held on Saturdays throughout the season, so you can learn how to construct seat walls, firepits, paver patios and retaining walls!

Stop by your nearest Patio Town or visit patiotown.com for seminar schedules. We also have other outdoor living kits from Willow Creek Ledgestone including a stunning outdoor fireplace, wood box, water feature plus new bar/grill kits. Let the outdoor seasons begin!

You can learn more at Patio Town's free paver installation seminars at 9 a.m. Saturdays in April at our Twin Cities stores: April 6 and 27 in Burnsville; April 13 at the Brooklyn Park/Maple Grove and April 20 at Oakdale.

Discover acres of displays, hundreds of ideas and always free advice and how-to seminars at Patio Town, the Twin Cities’ premier do-it-yourself landscape supplier since 1965 with stores in Oakdale, Burnsville and Brooklyn Park/Maple Grove. Or if you don’t want to DIY, work with our award-winning designers at Villa Landscapes, Patio Town’s design/build division.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Oakdale