You can roast marshmallows over a gas powered fire pit. The gooey sugar that drops into the pit will eventually burn to dust or it can carmalize on the top stones or glass. I've never had one clog a flame ring or bar. Interesting that you mention the 'good smell'. When I smell smoke I cringe in disgust and try to get as far away as possible. I know if you can smell it then there is carcinogenic particulate matter in the air and that's the tiny stuff that gets into your lungs and causes all kinds of health issues ranging from asthma, lung disease and heart disease. Interestingly, from a design perspective, most people who ask for a fire pit want one that is easy to operate ( a turn of a handle ) and they don't want to smell like a camp fire when they turn the thing off. - I put a wood burning fire pit in for a family with 5 kids and a year later they asked to have it converted to gas because she had to bathe the kids to get the smell of smoke out before going to bed . Woody, I think the fire pit thing is popular in certain locations due to climate and probably even affluence has an impact. Here in Cal. we have pleasantly cool evening temperatures and few mosquitoes which makes sipping a bottle of Napa Chard around a fire an enjoyable event so they have been pretty common around here for ages. * Google what is happening in Southern Cal regarding their beloved beach fires. A current HOT topic ... the mayor of one beach town is saying " that fire pits are a part of our California heritage". photo - a gas fired pit with metal sculpture - Squaw Valley Lake Tahoe CA. Here is a link that might be useful: http://burningissues.org/car-www/index.html

We did the same thing this year with approx the same distance from the hosta. My hubby dumped crushed red stone in the area you have cement. We had one in another location even closer to the hostas and never had a problem. My only concern then and now is making sure the mulch doesn't catch fire (and now the developers nice split rail cedar fence!) We had some pretty big fires in years' past and never set the woods on fire ;o) Always have a garden hose ready and my cell phone (911)just in case. Char

Thanks, I didn't know Romans were that hard and precise to make. I do want something that hangs and works well and doesn't look "home made". I also didn't know that hand sewn individual rings were better than the tapes. JC Penny had about 5 fabrics in each blind to choose from for lower prices. There was one book that had quite a few more but even the person helping me was not at all impressed with the choices. It was when I went to the custom line that these prices came up. I am glad I am not the only one who thinks they are just too high. Boy I thought I had sticker shock when I found out faucets can cost 900.00 or more. I may look into local custom shops and individuals, also. I just am not sure how to find someone good. I would not be happy if they didn't fit, hang or work properly. I may even already have patterns for them. I kind of like the idea of picking out the fabric and then having someone make them if I can find someone good who wont charge that much. 250.00 I can handle, 500.00 and up I think is just more than I want to pay if I don't have to. If I can't do the custom route for under 350.00 I will probly go with one of the online sources mentioned. Smith and Noble do have some fabrics to choose from. Most are solids, but there are a couple of simple prints that might be nice. Sue

Ain't that always the case, Lascatx? Form vs function! You can do both if you want to bury a gas line. But we were wanting to avoid that. If you want to go the hidden propane tank route, which sounds easiest, there are a lot of quite ugly neo-tuscan choices, alas! I will share three other hidden propane tank options. The first one seems cool but it was DIY so you either need to be handy and brave or find someone to make it, but I like the idea (though I'd choose a lower pot perhaps). I like the simplicity of this; they make a square one, and a round one too but it kind of looks like a Hobo's fire. There was also a round, sort of coffee table height one, I am trying to find the image of it again. It is shipped as a plane concrete form and you can clad it in any facing, metal or stone or tile, you like, after you get it on site. I kind of like that idea.