1 comments about Ultimate Backyard.

1. I personally was disappointed in the book. It is more for someone who has a background in architecture. I was hopeing it was more for what I call "suzy Q homemaker"!. However, my friend has an architecture background and I gave it to her and she just LOVED IT!!!!!!! For the everyday small backyard garden I felt it was too costly to do and above what my needs were.

3 comments about Courtyards: Intimate Outdoor Spaces.

1. The author has definitely done his homework. We are in the process of creating a courtyard in our back yard after having added a sunroom this past season. Our theme has been "New Orleans" for the sunroom ... even though we live in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we have visited New Orleans many times and consider it our "home away from home". There are courtyards from New Orleans featured in this book - but many from other places as well. Whatever you are looking for in courtyard ideas, you will find it here.



2. Douglas Keister's Courtyards: Intimate Outdoor Spaces takes a rare look at the function, definition and purpose of a courtyard surveying courtyards around the world which grace both home and public establishment. Courtyards can be adapted to both large and small spaces, vary in greenery, stonework, and lighting, and are perfect additions for homeowners seeking to remodel with style. Turn a backyard into a courtyard setting or consider many options through the phone color exhibition of photographer Keister, paired with text which considers design options and successful examples.



3. This book was recommended as a guide to developing sculpture gardens and outdoor living spaces. It is not. The photographs appear to be very dated as are the subject courtyards. It is a dull, unispired book.

5 comments about The New Birdhouse Book: Inspiration and Instruction for Building 50 Birdhouses.

1. The New Birdhouse Book: Inspiration And Instruction For Building 50 Birdhouses by Leslie Garisto is far more than just another woodworking "how-to guide" for a weekend project. Rather it is a full blown celebration showcasing a vast variety of crafted avian housing, ranging from common box houses to pillared feeders, as well as expansive and complex creations designed especially to attract specific birds. Color photography, detailed diagrams, step-by-step instructions, and more, make The New Birdhouse Book a must-have for woodworkers of all skill and experience levels who seek to apply their talents to the betterment of our feathered friends.



2. Good designs, easy to follow plans. This book piqued my interest in dovecotes, and now I'm off in another direction.



3. I WAS VERY DISSAPPOINTED WITH THIS BOOK. IN THE SECTION WHERE THEY HAVE THE INSTUCTIONS FOR BIRD HOUSES TO BUILD THEY DON'T HAVE A PICTURE OF IT. EVEN THE DRAWING IS NOT OF THE FINISHED BIRD HOUSE BUT A DRAWING WITH ALL THE PIECES UNATTACHED. I GUESS YOU HAVE TO BUILD THE THING TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. BIG HELP!



4. This book was quite useful. However, I also purchased "Build Your Own Birdhouses and Feeders: From Simple, Natural Designs to Spectacular, Customized Houses and Feeders" at the same time. I was very disappointed to find that the plans were almost all EXACTLY THE SAME.



5. How do you put out a book like this with no pictures of the finished projects? Ridiculous! I wish I could give it ZERO stars!

5 comments about The Home Depot Outdoor Projects 1-2-3 (Home Depot ... 1-2-3).

1. A user-friendly search manual of OutDoor/Indoor do-it-yourself projects. This book is a quick read with adaquate illustrations depicting vital home upkeep/improvement projects in simple lay terms. Sport reading for the seasoned professional, critical for would-be's.



2. this book is great my husband wanted it and now he loves it he uses it all the time and it give us both ideas on things we can do and then shows us how.



3. Generally when I used think about home improvements (indoor or out) I thought about calling somebody (experienced or not) to help me with it. It was usually at this point that the neighbors would bring their kids inside. . . Just to be safe. . . To be honest, until just after I bought this book (a year ago) I didn't think I had the inate skills needed to do something as alien to modern men as replacing a fawcet washer, much less replacing the whole fawcet and installing a greenhouse!! This book, aside from not being very good at helping you lift heavy things, is all the help you will need to complete hundreds of different improvement projects in and around your house.

   The skill gauge is very acurate in it's time estimates and tells you what level of skills you should have before starting a project - This is helpful if only so you can put your local fire department on call. With all the information on tools, their usage, and the type, amount and quality of materials you will need this book could make Homer Simpson look like Martha Stewart. . . Well, maybe more like Tim Allen, but you get the point.

   I highly recommend this book and the Home Depot "HOME IMPROVEMENTS 1-2-3" book as well!! Truly money well spent!




4. This book truly gives you the most "bang for your buck". If you are interested in learning how to do a wide variety of things and are somewhat mechanically inclined.....THIS is the book for you! I have my own contracting business and refer to this book many times for that "extra" insight I need on a project. The diagrams and pictures are very helpful and I truly would recommend this book to anyone!



5. My husband is a carpenter and very good with working on things in the home. He needed a little guidance for outdoor projects that he never had done before. This book was even great for me who has no knowledge or training in building or landscaping. The two of us redid our entire back yard and it looks wonderful....we added a deck, patio, retaining wall, and lots of plants. Now we are looking forward to working on the front yard next Spring. This book will definitely get more use.

No comments about Complete Landscaping: Lowe's (Lowe's Home Improvement).

1 comments about Complete Guide to Water Gardens: Ponds, Fountains, Waterfalls, Streams.

1. This is the best book I have seen on water gardens. It covers every step of the process from planning and construction through landscaping to stocking with fish and even maintenance.

   Many options are presented as far as size style and building methods for ponds, fountains, waterfalls, and streams. Fully illustrated with color photos and diagrams this is above all a great "how to do it" book.

   There is extensive coverage on choosing and caring for fish and other wildlife. A large encyclopedia of foliage including floating plants, marginals, ferns, shrubs and trees is also included. A photo, physical description, zones it will tolerate, & often some advice is given for each. Tons of landscaping enhancements are also suggested.

   There is history of water gardening and plenty of photos of beautiful finished gardens to give you ideas as well. I can't emphasize too strongly through how important this hands-on book is for someone who want to create a water garden of their own.

No comments about Outdoor Kitchen Ideas that Work.

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.

No comments about Patios and Walkways Idea Book (Idea Books).

No comments about Outdoor Kitchens: Ideas for Planning, Designing, and Entertaining.