5 comments about Outdoor Water Features: 16 Easy-to-Build Projects For Your Yard and Garden.

1. Do you like the refreshing sound of lemonade trickling into a glass, only you wish it would last longer? The relaxing sound of running water is refreshing and also attracts wildlife. This book has 16 projects you can build, most quite easily, with simple, readily available materials that will add sound and visual interest to your yard.

   The book has information about tools, materials and plants, well illustrated with photographs and watercolor drawings. There are even maintenance tips. Some of the projects are as small as container fountains and some as large as ponds. They even discuss "bog gardening." Most of the designs fall in the small to medium size range.

   Among the more interesting projects is a "Japanese Deer Scarer" which is an animated bamboo fixture that beats on a rock while dumping water. Also unique is a "Wine Bottle Spray Fountain." (We are avidly gathering the materials for this one as I write.) There are several that utilize sheet copper parts and one made from glass bricks.

   There are lots of good tips on design that you can use for your own variations. If you are only going to buy one book on outdoor water features, get this one. It is sure to be an inspiration for your next weekend "water" project.




2. This a basic slim book that does just what the writers promise. They show the novice gardener how to make 16 water features. There are assorted fountains, including a romantic fountain, bell fountain, perpetual water tap, a cascade and a glass waterfall. There is a still pond, a wall waterspout a cascade and a natural pond. It's fairly standard stuff but there are, after all, only so many ways to present simple how-to-do-it water feature information.

   There are useful sections on tools, materials and pumps, and you'll find plenty of illustrations, including cross-sections of the construction project.

   There is no bibliography, just a reading list that is really tacky because it only lists other books published by the same publisher. Unless you're new to gardening I'd stay away from books published by Storey. There is nothing basically wrong with them, but they lack the depth, originality and insight that the more experienced gardener generally seeks.




3. For anyone wanting to learn how to add water to their yard, this is the book to get. I loved it because the projects are easy to follow and there aren't any steps that you will not be able to do.
   The information at the front of the book lays out a good foundation for the projects that you will find throughout the book. From everything such as designing, planning and the tools you will need, to maintenance and the many projects; this book will lead the path to having the calming effect of water in your yard.
   The illustrations and photography just add to how helpful and very informative this book really is. This book would make a great gift for any gardener.



4. This book has some good information, great design ideas,
   and beautiful pictures. My pond is up and running, and
   the fishies and frogs and water lillies are VERY Happy.



5. I ordered this book as a gift. It shipped fast and I received it in only a few days after. It was exactly what they wanted. Thanks for the great service.

3 comments about Fire Places: A Practical Design Guide to Fireplaces and Stoves Indoors and Out.

1. Fire places seem evoke some kind of hidden memories out of our distant path when the fire at the mouth of the cave kept the tigers away. This has become so important that even apartments now seem to come with fire places.
   
   This book, as is usual with this publisher is a beautifully illustrated, beautifully printed collection of fire places that range from a simple rock lined fire pit out in the yard to fire places that are the design center of the house, wood stoves that meet the new EPA regulations, to antiques that may have come from grandmothers house.
   
   Besides the beautiful photography, this book also includes design tips, and the regulations that come from building codes. And there are discussions of more types of fire places than you could ever imagine without seeing it.
   
   I got this book because my house does not have a fire place, and it's the next major extension that I plan to add. This book answered all the questions that I had, except do I want something indoor or outside. We have a long season for entertaining outside.



2. I was excited to find this book but once it arrived I was a bit disappointed in it. It has tons of photos of a variety of fireplaces, inside and out, exaplins the different types well but I was looking for more information on unique fireplaces, ones which could be placed in the center of a room. So if you're wanting a more traditional fireplace setting, this book might be great.



3. This is a great book - beautiful pictures, but excellent information as well. Best book on fireplaces I've seen

5 comments about Treehouses: The Art and Craft of Living Out on a Limb.

1. I was looking for something practical to help me design and build a tree house for my 5 year old. This is a great book if you want to consider "possibilities". It helped a little, as well in terms of providing conceptual designs. It was not as good in providing detailed plans on how to build a specific tree house. If you are an experienced builder you could probably take what they have here and develop your own blueprints. If you are a novice,and need detailed plans this book will not get you there.



2. This book is 90% inspiration and 10% technical information. I don't think that there is enough information for someone wanting to build their own treehouse, but if you already have one of those books, then this one is a good companion for inspirational purposes.



3. Great Book, with lots of great pictures. Some technical stuff also. Another book that has a little bit on building tree houses is called "Shelters Shacks and Shanties by D.C. Beard. I love tree's myself but for you tree huggers complaining about a few nails, sheesh, your houses are full of lumber. Look in the walls at the studs, under the floors at the joists, kitchen cabinets, dining room table and chairs, bedroom furniture, etc. etc. so don't worry about a few nails in a tree eh, they love the iron in them anyhow!



4. I found the drawings of treehouse construction principles helpful and potentially life saving. The photos were beautiful and inspirational. This isn't the only treehouse building book I will own, but it was a good one to start out with.



5. I'm not sure what to think about this book. Sometimes I read it with joy. At other times I wonder why I bought it. Nice pics, little advice on building.

5 comments about Trellises, Arbors & Pergolas: Ideas and Plans for Garden Structures (Better Homes & Gardens).

1. My husband and I had a landscape plan drawn up that included a pergola. Since my husband rebuilt part of our fence, he wanted to tackle the pergola himself. So, I bought him this book and he really loved it.
   
   The beginning of the book shows a variety of ideas for trellises, arbors and pergolas. Even if you're not going to build it yourself, the photos, drawings, and descriptions of styles may help you select or design one that you like and fits your house/yard. My favorite idea from the book was a trellis that goes over the garage door - what a neat idea!
   
   The next section of the book has all the necessary instructions and shows you how to build a number of these structures. This could come in handy if you decide to build it yourself.
   
   Section three offers some suggestions for plants that will climb up structure.
   
   The final portion of the book goes over the different types of tools you may need for your project. There are also drawings and descriptions to help the novice learn the basic building and wood-working skills needed for these projects.
   
   Although we haven't started our pergola yet, I'm sure this book will come in handy. We've definitely been enjoying looking through it to see what kind we might want!



2. Good information on the different aspects of building the various landscape structures.



3. Trellises, Arbors & Pergolas: Ideas and Plans for Garden Structures (Better Homes & Gardens)
   
   I had been searching for a long time to find a suitable design for an arbor at the end of three converging pathways on a rustic portion of our property. I finally found the design I wanted at the bottom of page 9. I showed the design to our carpenter and he built an identical copy out of ipe. The result was so perfect, that I asked him to build a small pavilion in the same style on another part of our property. It also was elegant and sturdy. He commenced these projects in the middle of January in snowy, icy, windy, sub-freezing weather and finished both within about two or three weeks. I am now designing a 200-foot-long fence along two sides of our property in--you guessed it--the same style. If I ever figure out how to work my husband's new handycam I may be able to submit a video review. Useful book.



4. This is an excellent how-to book; great designs, clear instructions and easy to read text. This is a good book for the beginner thru the professional. I highly recommend it.



5. I was a bit disappointed with this book - I was hoping for a lot more ideas - most that were shown were pretty weak designs. Books like this are mainly idea books and the more ideas, the better. This looked like a half hearted attempt. Unfortunately, I haven't found anything better. There's a definite need for a decent book on this subject...

5 comments about Curb Appeal.

1. This is a great book for the typical homeowner who doesn't know where to start or even how much to tackle for their 'curb appeal' update. The book is full of great ideas & I especially enjoyed the "before & after" aspect which helps readers see just exactly how drastic a change can take place with a little paint/new trim & knowledgable guidance.
   
   It's essential to point out that 'skilled' designer intervention was involved in getting these homes to the finish line & looking so great.
   
   Hopefully the average homeowner who lacks any design gifting can take these ideas & their own common sense & apply them in their own situation. Some people feel they have zero creative ability so those in that category may still find this book comes up short in that they'll see all kinds of make-overs...but still need to hire someone to 'design' their makeover.
   
   Another point to raise is that some ideas provided in the book won't work for every situation...such as the suggestion of painting one's vinyl siding. This would not work well with erratic temperature changes in colder weather locations in the country.
   
   Ultimately the book offers creative inspiration to any homeowner looking to find ways of improving their home's curb appeal & various ways to do it.
   
   I highly recommend the book on that note...because the intention appears to be just that ...to provide inspiration...& that objective is certainly met with success.



2. I really love this book. We are remodeling our house and it gave us some great ideas. I've shown it to everybody.



3. I love this book it gave so many great details! Anyone (and it does not matter if you are selling your home)who is proud of their home and likes to make it even better can use this book. It just has wonderful ideas.



4. This book had fantastic ideas for our remodeling project. We actually picked the color of our house from one of the pictures.



5. This book is an attempt by the authors to cover an extremely large body of knowledge in a very short time frame. The principles of both landscape and home architecture that underpin what we refer to as "curb appeal" are extremely complex. By using examples to illustrate appealing design the learning process is made much easier, if rather superficial. A good book for the beginner who needs to do something right away and who does not have the time nor inclination to undertake a deeper study of the many issues involved in the concept of "curb appeal".

1 comments about Taunton's Deck & Patio Idea Book.

1. This book has some good designs, but not what I was expecting. I am looking to build a new deck (my first), and want ideas... This book had some fancy ideas, but not too many practical ideas... So if you are looking at a book like this, you are most likely going to pay someone else to do the job... There is nothing wrong with that though.... ;)

5 comments about Scotts Lawns: Your Guide to a Beautiful Yard.

1. Excellent practical resource for maintaining your home lawn. I found many good practical applications in this book. I would recommend it for anyone that just wants to use for making sure their home lawn is well maintained.



2. This is a fantastic book. Better than many that cost much more. My dad reads it, looks at the photos and drawings, and is making plans for the spring.



3. We bought a brand new house last year with an acre of land and had no idea how to take care of the freshly laid lawn. A year of trial and error and the lawn is covered in weeds and missing patches. I just started reading this book and am already very impressed. It has simple steps and is written so clearly that I, someone who killed a lawn, feel comfortable starting over. If you want an easy to follow book with wonderful hints this is your book. I cannot wait to start fixing our lawn!



4. I was looking for the perfect all in one book but that's really impossible right? Well, this is a really good book but the one thing I think it misses are the "organic" options to things like fertilizers and pest defense. All in all it's a great help but I would have liked to see organic fertilizing options and organic pest control. In any case it will get your lawn green again.



5. The book is quite solid, well written & illustrated. No qualms there.
   
   However, Amazon sells both the 1st & 2nd edition for the same price -- but makes no mention of there being a 2nd edition here. This is the FIRST edition, get the second instead. Do a search for "Scotts Lawn".
   
   Also, as someone else mentions, this book (1st ed) is an updated version of the Ortho book on Lawns.
   
   Again, the book is solid, but look for the 2007 2nd edition.

5 comments about Grand Canyon, The Complete Guide: Grand Canyon National Park.

1. One of the best Grand Canyon guide books I've seen. Useful for the first-time visitor as well as the experienced hiker.



2. This guide had beautiful pictures, detailed maps etc... It listed lodging but no reviews of lodging, just a glorified description. Had I not seeked out advice and reviews about lodging at the Grand Canyon, I would have been seriously disappointed. This book is more of a thick glossy brochure than an actual "guide" to help you plan a trip.



3. Out of all the Grand Canyon guides I bought, this one was my favorite.
   The color photos are amazing, and the background info about the
   canyon's history, geology and wildlife is fascinating. If you're going
   to Grand Canyon I would definitely recommend buying this book.



4. The Grand Canyon is universally acclaimed as one of the great natural wonders of the world. Now in a fully updated and beautifully illustrated third edition, James Kaiser's "Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide" is the ideal guide for novice visitors and a superbly informative reference for the seasoned visitor as well. A complete and 'user friendly' travel guide and planner for visiting the Grand Canyon, this ideal reference includes the Havasu Falls, topography maps, trail descriptions for both day trips and overnight hikes, mule rides, scenic flights, Colorado river trips, public campgrounds, historic lodges, the canyon's geology, native wildlife, history, and a great deal more. Compact and easily portable, "Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide" truly lives up to its title and is an invaluable addition to personal and community library travel guide collections -- as well as the supplemental reading lists of the armchair explorer!



5. This author gives a comprehensive overview of everything to do here. The photos are fantastic and I love the snippets of history too. I only wish he wrote more guides for other places.

No comments about The Black & Decker Complete Guide: Build Your Kids a Treehouse (Black & Decker Complete Guide).

3 comments about Deck Designs: Plus Pergolas, Railings, Planters, Benches.

1. Deck Designs packs in a wealth of deck design ideas and patterns, featuring designer's unique approaches and their tips on how the deck feature was achieved. Color photos of patterns and decks supplement information on design considerations and details on construction techniques for the homeowner who wants to create his own custom deck.



2. I almost made the mistake of letting the contractors design my deck. They came up with a big boring rectangle. Thank goodness I bought this book first! It is packed with many wonderful ideas, including photos and tips to making a deck interesting and functional. It covers layout, railing design, and yard and use considerations. It is a very small investment for a big project, I suggest that anyone building a deck take a look at this book before proceeding.



3. If it hadn't been for this little gem of a book, I'd have ended up with exactly what I thought a deck was: a 10x30' rectangle on stilts outside my back door.

   Thanks to the inspiring designs outlined here, I was able to upgrade my $4K do-it-yourself deck with some snazzy details and useful layouts with little additional work and expense. Please do yourself the favor of flipping thru the pages of a book like this - if for nothing else than to see how it can be done by the best designers and builders.

   No, just like me you will never be able to afford the hand-sanded grade A redwood beauties that are featured on a couple of these spreads - materials alone would run into six figures. But you will be able to steal the design of the railing, or perhaps the notion of a split level or a nifty little nook for a bench or some other detail from the top end decks. There's enough closeups and sketches of the design to run with a concept that you find appealing, and the narrative will help you think thru the elements of your design that might open up new possibilities.

   After reading it from cover to cover a couple of times I shared the book and my comments on post-its with the contractor I had hired to help me complete my project, and it inspired him to come up with some ideas of his own, as well as better understand where I wanted to go with the project.