cover image Garden Furniture and Outdoor Projects

Garden Furniture and Outdoor Projects

Ian Howes, Alex Ward, Pippa Howes. Reader's Digest Association, $26.95 (176pp) ISBN 978-0-7621-0435-2

Offering an array of DIY garden projects illustrated by over 250 photographs and explained via brief but careful instructions, this volume should be a valuable resource for confident beginners or moderately skilled woodworkers seeking to enhance their lawns and gardens. The projects, which range from benches and chairs to planters, tuteurs and birdhouses, can be made from plywood and softwood with a set of basic tools (the authors list 14 essential items for a starter tool kit, from a handsaw to plastic sawhorses). Ward and Gibbs offer quick rundowns on key techniques, lumber, finishes and safety before moving into the projects themselves. Though many of these, such as the swing bench and the child's fort, will be daunting for the true beginner, others, such as the trellis and the weathervane, should come together with ease.