Customer Reviews

Outdoor Water Features: 16 Easy-to-Build Projects For Your Yard and Garden

5 star:		(4)
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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Do you like the refreshing sound of lemonade trickling into a glass, only you wish it would last longer? The relaxing sound of running water is refreshing and also attracts wildlife. This book has 16 projects you can build, most quite easily, with simple, readily available materials that will add sound and visual interest to your yard.

The book has information about tools, materials and plants, well illustrated with photographs and watercolor drawings. There are even maintenance tips. Some of the projects are as small as container fountains and some as large as ponds. They even discuss "bog gardening." Most of the designs fall in the small to medium size range.

Among the more interesting projects is a "Japanese Deer Scarer" which is an animated bamboo fixture that beats on a rock while dumping water. Also unique is a "Wine Bottle Spray Fountain." (We are avidly gathering the materials for this one as I write.) There are several that utilize sheet copper parts and one made from glass bricks.

There are lots of good tips on design that you can use for your own variations. If you are only going to buy one book on outdoor water features, get this one. It is sure to be an inspiration for your next weekend "water" project.

For anyone wanting to learn how to add water to their yard, this is the book to get. I loved it because the projects are easy to follow and there aren't any steps that you will not be able to do.
The information at the front of the book lays out a good foundation for the projects that you will find throughout the book. From everything such as designing, planning and the tools you will need, to maintenance and the many projects; this book will lead the path to having the calming effect of water in your yard.
The illustrations and photography just add to how helpful and very informative this book really is. This book would make a great gift for any gardener.

This book has some good information, great design ideas,
and beautiful pictures. My pond is up and running, and
the fishies and frogs and water lillies are VERY Happy.

I'm looking to add water features to my yard, and I bought this book because it sounded interesting and had good reviews. I guess I should buy books from a brick & mortar store where I can look at them first! I was extremely disappointed with this book. Of the 16 water projects in this book, there are only 2 that I remotely like. This may be my personal taste ... when thinking about water features I am looking for something simple and elegant that looks natural and fits into the surroundings. One of the 16 projects was a fountain made from marbles. Another was simply putting a bog plant into a pot and sticking that in a bowl containing water. Another reviewer here liked the wine-bottle fountain, but it was not to my taste. The "look inside" feature doesn't show the right pages, but if you look at the back cover of this book, you can see a few examples of the fountains. In my opinion, these are some of the better ones in the book, but do not match up with my idea of a water feature. I guess I'll keep looking.

This a basic slim book that does just what the writers promise. They show the novice gardener how to make 16 water features. There are assorted fountains, including a romantic fountain, bell fountain, perpetual water tap, a cascade and a glass waterfall. There is a still pond, a wall waterspout a cascade and a natural pond. It's fairly standard stuff but there are, after all, only so many ways to present simple how-to-do-it water feature information.

There are useful sections on tools, materials and pumps, and you'll find plenty of illustrations, including cross-sections of the construction project.

There is no bibliography, just a reading list that is really tacky because it only lists other books published by the same publisher. Unless you're new to gardening I'd stay away from books published by Storey. There is nothing basically wrong with them, but they lack the depth, originality and insight that the more experienced gardener generally seeks.

I ordered this book as a gift. It shipped fast and I received it in only a few days after. It was exactly what they wanted. Thanks for the great service.