Guess what… It’s finally the first day of Spring!  After a long (and very wintery winter), it’s finally about time already.

Spring is exciting for so many reasons, but my very favorite part is beginning to get outside more often and enjoy the fresh air.  And just last summer, my wife and I completed our brand new patio.  It’s like our very own private recluse.  But right now, there’s just one problem…

It’s still too chilly to really get any regular use from our patio for at least another month or so.

You can probably guess the solution.  Yep, we’ve just purchased a brand new chimenea style fire pit just like the Arctic Cast Iron Chimenea pictured above.  It will allow us to extend the patio season by a couple of weeks in either direction and will even be nice on the occasional summer evening.

While the chimenea was the perfect solution for our already completed patio, there are other outdoor fireplace solutions that would work great too.  If we hadn’t already finished the patio, we might have considered building an in-ground fire pit and actually making it the centerpiece of the entire patio layout.

I’ve seen fire pits that even hook right up to the home’s natural gas lines for super convenient use.  I am more of a wood-burning guy though – I guess I just enjoy the rustic feeling of aromatic, crackling wood.

If you’re interested in building your own backyard fire pit, be sure to check out this how to guide on installing an outdoor fire pit.  It’s easier than you would probably imagine.

Of course, there’s still nothing wrong with adding a ready to go outdoor fireplace solution like a chimenea either.  It’s just a matter of preference.

One thing is for sure – I can’t wait to hang out on the patio tonight and enjoy the toasty fire!