Now you can party outside all year
Fire balls, bowls and chimineas will make your garden glow with cheer
The doleful skies of winter have moved in, tempting us to hunker down inside and keep a safe distance from our gardens, balconies or patios. But firepits change all that.
Not only do these increasingly popular pieces of garden furniture ward off the chill, they create a convivial setting, which entices people outside despite less-than-inviting temperature readings. having seen a fire burning within an impressive sculpture fourand-a-half years ago, farmer Andy Gage became intrigued by its beauty.
After enquiring about the price, Gage left dismayed, but inspired, and set to work on his own design back at the farm. From there, The FirePit Company was born.
‘I made one in my workshop and my wife suggested I put it on Facebook,’ says Gage, who continues to be a full-time farmer while running his business. ‘The response was monumental. From there came a website, much more business and an invitation to exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show.’
Business is, well, blazing. Gage now has nine employees. From his memorable collection is the english Country Firepit, an enchanting forest scene that can feature either a stag and herd, boxing hares or foxes, all surrounded by trees and nature. There is even the option to add a kissing couple.
It comes in three sizes, the largest, at 900 mm costs £1,499 and is made in 6 mm steel. Behind the hand-drawn and carved figures, a fire burns, not only warming and lighting its surrounds, but telling a story.
WheNthere is no further need for a fire in summer, a light unit, £ 60, inserted within the globe, will light it to kaleidoscopic effect ( thefirepitcompany.co.uk).
‘When we’ve exhibited, the majority of places haven’t allowed us to light a fire,’ says Andy, who never makes two fireballs the same. ‘But, we’ve noticed that people are attracted to their tactile quality.
‘even when you’re inside, and you’re looking out at a wet, gloomy scene, the LeD lights make our globes a year-round feature. Your garden glows.’
Less ornate, but no less impressive, are Indian fire bowls. These wide-rimmed steel platter bowls tend to be made from recycled oil drums and can be moved around a garden.
Available via The Indian Fire Bowl Company, the versatile bowls, which range from 40 cm to 120 cm wide, can be filled with logs for the perfect firepit. They
can also double up as a nifty communal roaster, whether of chestnuts or marshmallows. Prices start from £71.20, indianfirebowlcompany.co.uk.
If your space outside is limited, your options are not. A steel bucket brazier by Garden Selections, £35.99, notonthehigh
street.com comes in a pretty hand-etched flame design and will take up as little space as a wastepaper basket.
Over the past few decades, garden enthusiasts from cooler climes have appropriated the Mexican chiminea, in essence an outdoor woodburner.
Traditionally used in Mexico to heat homes and as a place to cook family meals, the chiminea has been put to work on British soil a little differently.
Known for their unusual shape, a long chimney-like flue atop a miniature flamefilled oven, there is plenty to choose from in terms of style. Oxford Barbecues sell a variety of chiminea including the large
clay chimney, pictured, £ 89.99, notonthehighstreet.com. having somewhere cosy to gather around as well as a fuss-free place in which to cook sausages or foilwrapped bananas makes a firepit worth its weight in logs. And for added aromatic ambience, throw stems of spruce, cinnamon sticks or pine cones in amidst the flames. Mystical Fire sachets, £7.99 for a pack of five by The Glow Company, can transform the amber hue of the fire into flashing lights of green, blue and red ( glow.co.uk). Inside, roaring fires are the backdrops to card games and tall tales. With fire pits and braziers, it is perfectly possible to recreate that same feeling — only this time, under the stars.