While garden gnomes and whimsical bird baths certainly have their place in many backyards, finding modern garden elements can be a challenge. If clean lines and industrial materials appeal to outdoor decor sensibility, do-it-yourself projects offer an easy customized solution. Continue reading →
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How To Build a Spring Planter Box
It’s spring and it’s the perfect time of year to get ready for outdoor DIY projects. If you plan on doing any planting or gardening but you’re not ready to venture into a soggy backyard just yet, we recommend projects that can be completed in the garage and moved outside when the sun appears.
A spring planter box is the perfect project for creating indoors in preparation for more pleasant weather to come. The simplicity of a planter box makes it utilitarian for growing flowers, herbs or vegetables and portable enough to be moved around.
You can find tutorials on the major DIY sites. Think about where you want to show off your plants and draw a diagram for how the box will fit in that space.
- DIYNetwork: How to Build a Planter Box
- Curbly: Make a Super Simple Spring Planter
- HGTV: Planter Box Project (Video)
- Sunset: Raised-box Herb Garden
If your plans call for wood glue, try Amazing EcoGlue Premium Wood.
After constructing your planter box, a little planning will help ensure that your plants thrive in their new home. It’s best to choose plants that do not grow over a foot high and do well with restricted roots.
Observe the sunlight where you want to place your boxes and note how m uch sun exposure those spots receive. Depending on the particular condition, choose plants that grow best in sunlight or shade. In the spring, choose plants that do not mind cooler temperatures.
To learn more about what to put in your planter box and how to care for plants in containers, visit the following links:
How to Plant a Planter Box
Tips for Placement of Flower Boxes
Guide to Container Gardening
Relax with an Outdoor Fire Pit
Summer is one of our favorite times of the year. Not only because it’s sunny and warm, but also because of all the outdoor projects we can get done. And, while our backyards are a great place to work on projects they’re also a great place to relax. That’s why we’re excited that the DIY Network has shared 8 easy-to-build outdoor fire pit designs to help you create a cozy backyard perfect for cool summer evenings. Here are some of our favorites.
A concrete square constructed in place is capped off with sandstone tiles then filled with gravel, a large metal fire bowl and decorative river rocks.
Natural stone is stood on end to outline this sunken fire ring.
Concrete pavers normally used for retaining walls can easily be stacked and filled with sand to make a small fire ring.
This fireplace was made by stacking rectangle pavers in a staggered pattern one small section at a time, then each section was lined and mortared with two rows of fire bricks standing up on end.
For even more inspiration check out these amazing outdoor fireplaces and fire pits.
Building A Planter Box for Fall Flowers
Even though we may be in summer’s last gasp, it’s not too late to plant some beautiful fall and even early winter flowers to enjoy. And of course, building your own planter box makes the flowers that much more delightful.
How To Build a Planter Box
You can find tutorials on the major DIY sites. Think about where you want to show off your plants and draw a diagram for how the box will fit in that space.
- DIYNetwork: How to Build a Planter Box
- Woodsmith: Planter Box Plans (PDF)
- RunnerDuck Resources: Cedar Planter Box (particularly easy to follow plans)
If your plans call for wood glue, try Amazing EcoGlue Premium Wood.
But it’s August! There are still lots of plants and flowers that will last you well into fall that you can plant in your new box.
Fall and Winter Flowers
Coleus: This attractive foliage plant is great for containers and underplanting. Although coleus will usually survive in sun, the color of the leaves is enhanced in the shade. Small, insignificant flowers will appear late summer. Pinch off blooms and growing shoots of young plants to encourage bushier foliage. It prefers moist but well drained soil. Common pests to watch for include mealy bug, aphids and whitefly.
Tea Olive: Osmanthus Fragrans, better known as Fragrant Tea Olive produce small white blooms that pack a punch. Some describe it as a rose scent, others as gardenia and still others as jasmine.
These unusually scented flowers come on in late winter, signaling the beginning of spring, then bloom sporadically during the summer. For an encore, the Fragrant Tea Olive puts on a show again in the fall.
Asters: Asters are an easy to grow perennial that grows well in average soils, but needs full sun. Asters come in blues, purples and a variety of pinks. All Asters are yellow in the center of the flower. They are daisy-like in appearance, even though they are a member of the sunflower family.
Some more tips for fall and winter flowers from CBS Early Show gardener Charlie Dimmock:
When planting in the spring or summer, leave space between the flowers so they can grow. When planting in the fall, your flowers really aren’t going to grow much at all. Pack them in closely to make the arrangement look pretty and full.
Replace the soil in your container with fresh soil before planting. You can toss the dirt you had in your summer container in your flower beds, but your new fall plants will appreciate new soil.
Fall and winter tend to be fairly wet, and fall/winter flowers don’t like all that moisture. So, you want to be sure your containers drain really well. Pots sitting on a porch or patio will not drain as completely as possible because the drainage holes are flat against the ground. You can buy small “feet” at the garden center to place under your pots; they raise the pots off the ground about an inch.
Building a Pergola for Your Backyard Space
Pergolas as outdoor space architecture have become extremely popular. Thanks to great DIY tools and the popularity of HGTV and DIY Network on cable, this is a project that an experienced do-it-yourselfer can manage quite easily.
Scouring the Internet, I found several terrific how-tos for this project:
- How to Build a Backyard Pergola: Simple Woodworking Project from Popular Mechanics. This article is in-depth and includes 3-D animation and master-level blueprints.
- Build a Pergola from the Lowe’s How-To Library: Seems comprehensive and easy to follow.
- Building a Pergola, step by step via YouTube: Expert Village has a series of pergola-building videos to give you visual help.
Be sure to check if you need a permit to add a structure to your house or property before you start.
Not all plans call for a construction adhesive, but if the plans you choose do try EcoGlue Extreme. It’s water-based with low volatile organic compounds (VOC) – so it’s earth-friendly and it works as well or better than solvent based adhesives.
Photographs by Christopher J. Vendetta
Looking for New Magazines? Try these Home & DIY Titles
The variety of home and do-it-yourself magazines available can be a little overwhelming. We scanned the shelves at our local bookstore and make these recommendations if you’re thinking about adding a new magazine to your library.
Backyard Living
Backyard Living Magazine is for hands-on people who love working and relaxing in their “outdoor living rooms.” It features backyard makeovers, easy landscape improvement projects, helpful gardening tips, great grilling recipes, fun entertainment ideas, new backyard product reviews and more, all with wonderful, full-color photos.
Smart HomeOwner Magazine helps homeowners make sense of the choices they have for systems and technology for their homes. This magazine informs owners about new techniques and technologies. Each issue demonstrates simple solutions to problems they thought were unsolvable. Smart HomeOwner inspires homeowners with possibilities for making their homes more comfortable, more economical to live in, and more beautiful.
HOME is designed to motivate readers to transform their surroundings by personalizing current trends to create a unique style that reflects their individuality.
Extreme How-To provides the latest information on tools, techniques and home-improvement technology for the extreme handyman. From residential and remodeling contractors to homeowners and do-it-yourselfers, our readers are serious about tackling a wide range of home-remodeling, landscaping and automotive jobs.
ReadyMade is a bimonthly print magazine for people who like to make stuff, who see the flicker of invention in everyday objects — the perfectly round yolk in the mundane egg.
Family Handyman Magazine is edited for the homeowner with an active interest in home improvement and remodeling. It covers topics including energy efficiency, garden care, woodworking, home decorating ideas and even auto maintenance. With fool-proof, step-by-step photo instructions, even amateurs can achieve professional results on a wide variety of home projects.
DIY Fixes for Outdoor Faucets, Plumbing
On DIY Life today Kelly Smith tells readers how to fix a leaky faucet valve. You’ll find valves anywhere water enters the home. If it’s leaking, not only can the water make a mess, but you it can also cause foundation damage.
Kelly gives readers tips for fixing the valve yourself.
After reading the post, I thought about the other places around the outside that water can cause problems – whether it’s just a mess from damp soil, so serious damage, water can be your worst enemy.
Where to look for water problems:
- Sprinkler connections: In ground or above ground systems are typically made from a network of PVC pipes, and at each junction, it’s possible for leak problems that can be easily sealed to prevent leaking. Look for a water resistant sealant that can handle changes in temperature and remain flexible. You might try Seal-All, for example.
- Garden hoses: If you leave them out in the weather, hoses can become brittle and crack. Believe it or not, you can use an adhesive like Amazing GOOP Lawn & Garden to fix the hose. The reason is that GOOP Lawn & Garden dries to a rubbery, flexible finish. So once dry, the hose can still bend and flex as good as new. And GOOP Lawn & Garden is UV resistant, too. Handy.
- Water pooling: A combination of Oregon’s clay soil (which doesn’t drain very well) and what I’d guess is a slope, the west side of my lawn pools water pretty easily (even with 5 or so minutes of sprinklers or a steady rain). According to All Experts, it could be a simple fix of raising the grade. Or, another site suggested a french drain system (sounds fancy! but looks pretty easy).
Water can be refreshing and renewing – but it can also wreak havoc. Taking simple precautions and making a few DIY repairs can help save time and money.
Prepping for Backyard Summer Fun
Sunlight and warm breezes signal the season for outdoor entertaining. For some, those words conjure up images of lounging on the beautiful backyard patio with friends and family. But, for many of us, outdoor entertaining sets off an internal alarm, reminding us of tears in the canvas cushions and umbrellas, cracks in mosaic tables, and chipped or broken patio pots, not to mention the statue that has lost a few fingers. It all adds up to a slightly shabby look to our
outdoor paradise.
Outdoor living spaces can be your summertime getaway, but before you panic and spend too much money on design consultants and all new patio furniture, stand back and take a look around your backyard like you’re seeing it for the first time.
Decide what is too shabby to save and get rid of it, whether it’s that scraggly shrub that has never thrived or those faded and chipped lawn trolls that have gone from cute to tacky. Clean away all “trash”— that stack of empty plastic flower pots from the nursery, debris around the barbecue area or tools leaning against the house
Be merciless in getting rid of scraggly flowers and shrubs. Replace them with hardy colorful species that are proven winners for your climate. If you have a “black thumb,” don’t worry. Tucking some seasonal silk flowers or ferns in a few hanging pots can be very effective and, of course, care-free!
Now you are ready to transform your outdoor living space, armed only with your imagination and a tube of versatile one-part adhesive like Amazing GOOP Lawn & Garden.
Here are some ideas (with some inspiration from award winning landscapes, via HGTV… we can dream right? Click on each image for more information):
- Try re-creating your outdoor space as several intimate “rooms” by the way you group your furniture around the lawn or patio. Subtle lighting and colorful clusters of pots or curving beds with seasonal flowers or shrubs can make these areas irresistible
- Paint inexpensive chairs and tables in bright colors to add a touch of whimsy and fun. You can turn an old table into a beautiful mosaic with some broken china and a little Amazing GOOP Lawn & Garden. This adhesive also will easily repair tears in canvas umbrellas and chair upholstery; it won’t chip or flake off because it dries to a rubbery, flexible finish that moves with the material. In fact, a tube of Amazing GOOP Lawn & Garden that is formulated for withstanding temperature change and moisture is your best bet for repairing almost anything outdoors that is cracked, torn, worn or broken.
- Create a warm, inviting experience in your own backyard — whatever fits your taste. One woman created a whimsical touch for her children by “GOOP-ing” little ceramic fairies among the branches of a small Japanese maple tree.
With a little preparation and a tube of Amazing GOOP Lawn & Garden, you can have a backyard that will keep you entertaining all summer long.
Anna: Thanks for the tip. And no sew too, which is awesome....
Mackenzie: Thanks for reposting this guys :) I use my purse all the time!...
Ariane: Excellent post once again. Thank you ;)...
Zakkalife: Thanks for sharing a link to my eyeglass case tutorial:)...
Brianna Olds: I love these items! Thank you so much for sharing them! Very helpful!
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