THE WORD / THE WEB
The Word
Great outdoors: Ben Allen’s “Outdoor Projects 1-2-3” ($35, Home Depot books, Meredith Publishing, 1998) and Bunny Williams’ “On Garden Style” ($35, Simon & Schuster Editions, 1998).
Easy does it: “Outdoor Projects 1-2-3” may be invaluable for anyone who gazes at the yard and sees changes, most of them made with his or her own hands. This 480-page book explains in detail how to build patios, decks, walks, walls, fences, sheds, garden beds, arbors and even furniture.
“Outdoor Projects 1-2-3” excels for several reasons. The “Skill Scale” tells how much expertise and time are needed--building a hot tub deck, for instance, is recommended for advanced (a 40-hour job) or intermediate (60 hours) do-it-yourselfers. The “Oops!” section lists common mistakes and how to fix them.
There’s also a “Safety Alert” for projects to ensure you’re protected (for starters, wear goggles and heavy gloves) and a “Designer’s Corner” where pros give tips. In the chapter on walkways and steps, designers suggest a slight slope (1 inch to every 4 to 8 feet of path) to guarantee proper drainage.
Needed tools are spelled out, with graphics, and easy-to-understand drawings take you through each of the job’s steps.
Green party: “On Garden Style” is an often classy ode to “America’s favorite pastime” by an author who sees the garden as a sanctuary where people can escape while exploring their creativity. She asks readers to “make for ourselves private green places of beauty and serenity” when planning any garden, big or small.
The 288-page book is filled with attractive photos, drawings and paintings depicting gardens through the centuries. Williams, who runs an interior-design business in New York when not getting soiled, offers advice and reflections on gardening that shift from the gushing to the practical.
The Web
Cyber-zines: If you can look past the blatant subscription promos, many online versions of magazines can be useful. Start with Better Homes and Gardens (https://www.bhglive.com) and Hearst Homearts (https://www.homearts.com).
Straightforward: Better Homes and Gardens is relatively no-frills, with not as much visual panache as the periodical, or even similar Web destinations. But it has a comprehensive links page in addition to articles and photos culled from the magazine. There’s also the Home Improvement Encyclopedia, which provides basic information on many subjects, and a section on buying and selling your home.
Variety: Hearst Homearts brings several of the publisher’s magazines together, including Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping and Marie Claire. It’s a huge site with dozens of stories and photos conveniently displayed. There is a drawback, though--being so graphics-heavy, it can take a long time to load with slower modems.
