Introduction

Landscape is a fairly broad word that, quite frankly, most homeowners don’t use very often. We don’t throw landscape barbecues on summer holidays. We don’t fire up the riding lawn tractor and mow the landscape on Saturday mornings. In fact, if you ask most homeowners to show you the landscape, they’ll probably direct you down the road to the nature preserve or disappear inside to find their favorite coffee table book from the horticultural society. So why is this book, which is intended for homeowners who love DIY, called Landscape Projects? Why not Backyard Projects or Yard & Garden Projects or Cool Things to Do with Your Lawn?

The answer is largely one of convenience. Yard and lawn and garden are all terms we use routinely to refer to our surroundings, but no single one of them fully captures the totality of our outdoor living spaces. Landscapes include plantings, turf grass, old trees, and new shrubs. But they also include patios, fences, decks, and garden walls. Yours may feature a vegetable garden, statuary, a doghouse or two, or even a couple of old Fords on blocks. In short, if it is part of the visual environment outside the doors and windows of your home, it’s part of your landscape. And, in practical terms, this means that your goal of creating an awesome yard and garden is truly a matter of good landscaping.

In Complete Guide to Landscape Projects you’ll find a wealth of projects that draw from just about every imaginable yard and garden element you can think of (with the possible exception of old Fords on blocks). Border and accent plantings, lawn care, building patios and pathways, creating arbors, sunscreens, and windscreens are all covered. So are some more unusual projects, such as making fire pits or wood-fired ovens. Along with the clear step-by-step instructions and photos you’ll find for these and dozens of other projects, you’ll also get just the right guidance you need to make decisions about which projects make sense for you. The result will be an outdoor living space that meets the practical needs of your family and looks exactly as wonderful as you’d like it to. And who knows—with some planning and careful work, you might be so pleased with the outcome that you really do invite your friends to stop over for a little landscape picnic.