Читать книгу Complete Book of Outdoor DIY Projects - Penny Swift - Страница 6

Climbing plants on this arbor provide a shady walk.

For hundreds of years, humankind has created and tended gardens of one sort or another. Some were established primarily to provide food, while others were created as sacred places, or simply developed to provide pleasure. Today there is a vast diversity of garden types and styles. Some are formal, others informal; some are based on established traditional genre, while a huge number are multipurpose areas designed to make the best of the space allowed.

A garden takes many years to establish itself, particularly as it takes time for trees to grow and shrubs to mature. But while plants develop, there is the opportunity to increase the character and function within the entire outdoor space, by adding features that are both practical and attractive. Even if yours is a well-developed garden, you may want to include a path, perhaps a screen wall to give an existing patio privacy, a treehouse or play structure to keep children occupied. A pond will introduce a sense of calm, while an arbor will add a decorative quality. A rustic bench provides somewhere to sit and a planter will allow you to add color to the garden. The options are endless and the materials diverse.

This book presents a selection of projects, of varying degrees of complexity, which may be built from a selection of materials: wood, brick and stone. In addition, it includes a variety of water features and fountains, ponds and pools. Many of the options you will be able to tackle with basic skills. Each project includes a shopping list for materials, as well as tools required for the job so that you can establish what it will cost to construct each feature and make sure you have everything before you start work. An estimated time frame is also provided, as is an indication of the level of skills that may be required – one hammer means that the project is quite simple and straightforward, two that you will need at least some DIY ability, and three that the project you are about to tackle demands some expertise, time and/or patience. These, of course, are just a guideline and will vary, depending not only on soil conditions and how long it takes you to dig holes for foundations, ponds and so on, but also how much assistance you have. Succinct step-by-step photographs accompany each project from start to finish, enabling you to achieve a thoroughly professional look.