Garden Retreats: A Build-It-Yourself Guide (Paperback)

by David Stiles (Author), Jeanie Stiles (Author) "A garden project, especially any permanent structures, like a garden house, large pergola, or pool, should be carefully thought out before it's constructed..." (more)
Key Phrases: horizontal side pieces, electric jig, bamboo arbor, Hexagonal Garden House, Gardener's Retreat, Rustic Cedar Gazebo (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
The Stileses, authors of 13 how-to woodworking books, give instructions on building 22 garden structures. Their book is written for woodworkers with an interest in gardening and for gardeners who have some carpentry skills. Each project includes a list of materials, detailed shop drawings, and an illustration of the finished structure. A section on fundamentals covers such subjects as planning, types of wood, tools and supplies, and the construction and installation of basic posts and gates. The projects include a covered seat, a table, a bench, a pergola, a deck with a bench and umbrella, swing, rose arbor, kiosk, and a cedar gazebo. Some of the structures are not so easy to build; the garden houses, for example, appear to be quite difficult. But for the gardener-carpenter with the know-how, the book will be invaluable. George Cohen

Review
"'Garden Retreats' by David and Jeanie Stiles shows detailed plans on how to build your own garden structures, such as garden seating, an arbor, a pergola and various types of small buildings." -- Sunday Patriot News, Harrisburg, PA, 12/12/99

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC; Illustrated. edition (January 6, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580171494
• ISBN-13: 978-1580171496
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #628,612 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely daydream book, December 20, 2000

By	Lynne Menefee "Baizan" (Jemez Springs, NM USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one I'll keep going back to -- in fact some of these projects are really do-able! My only caveat is that the type face, although pretty, is difficult for old eyes to make out even with reading glasses. Fortunately the pictures are lovely enough to be worth the price, all by themselves.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Summerhouse changing my life, February 27, 2000

By	John Hulsey (Long Island) - See all my reviews

I have almost finished building the summerhouse in Garden Retreats. It overlooks a bay where swan , ducks and other birds come over every day to watch my progress. This has been one of the most gratifying projects I have ever attempted. It has been time consuming, but worth it. I have even put in electric as suggested in the book. I highly recommend this book and this project. Once I got the summerhouse enclosed, I could trim out the interior and it was plenty warm inside the space. I can't wait until summer when I can sit inside the summerhouse and watch the sun go down.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well done and great drawings, September 26, 2002

By	Howard Miller (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Both my husband and I really enjoyed this book. The projects are interesting and the pencil drawings are great.In one case, we used their project as a starting point and went from there.

Most of the projects are NOT simple DIY stuff, so make sure you want do do a project that is covered in the book. It is not a generalized building manual that is applicable to building in general.

To complete the projects, you will need a good table saw, radial saw, circular saw or compound mitre saw, a good jig saw or band saw, portable drill or drill press, and power sander such as a 5 or 6 inch orbital sander or belt sander, plus the usual standard hand tools.