A work in progress.... (11/24/01)
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The bench at the left is my attempt at a garden bench based on a rustic,
high-dollar version found in the Sundance Catalog.
This photo was taken before I added the planter boxes along the outside of the arm
rests. Later, I stained it white. The total heigt is about 42 inches. It's four feet wide and 20 inches deep. I built the frame from pressure treated wood and the seat back, bottom and arm rests are from dog-eared fence panels. They're a lot cheaper than 1-by stock, and just needed a little sanding. The structural members are held together with galvanized deck screws, the seat and back with galvanized nails. My kids built the birdhouses as part of a Saturday morning Home Depot project. If you haven't taken a child there yet, you ought to, it's great! |
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This is a fountain I built my wife for her birthday.
We're planning to replace the tubing with black, so it will match the stand. We're
also putting some plantings around it so it blends in better with the rest of the yard. This project was based on one I found in a local store for $140. I built the entire thing for about $75, not counting the bottom tub, which I already had. I still need to supply underground power also. Make sure you get a pump that will send water at least four feet high, if you do something similar. |
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This is fountain number two, a small version with a much
smaller pump. My wife Amy saw this on television and talked me through it.
It's a strawberry pot with a watertight pot inside of it that houses the water and
pump. It sits about halfway up on the dirt. The inner pot is filled with
water, the pump is added and threaded through a notch cut in the top of the inner pot,
then down through the dirt and out near the bottom. The top of the inner pot is then covered with wire mesh, with a hole for the tube, and covered with pebbles. Plug it in and gurggle away! Cost? About $30. |
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My first shot at a bluebird house. It's fairly basic,
made out of 1/2 plywood with a brass hinge. It's designed to weather to a nice gray
so the birds will find it more natural. It will probably only last 7-10 years, but
it was quick and easy to build. You can find similar plans in just about any bird book at your local library. |
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This is a pretty basic bird feeder of my own design. I
used plexiglass for the seed area and plain pine for the overall piece, with stainless
hinges and galvanized finish nails. The feeder is attached to the post with
"L" brackets, for easy removing if needed. I covered it with three coats of a spar varnish for exterior use to protect it from the weather and bird droppings. So far the feeder has been a hit with the area birds! |
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This bench started out as a seat for my pine country table, but it's since been moved outside with two coats of spar varnish for protection, on top of the original honey stain/poly. |
11/24/01