Synopses & Reviews
Incorporating movement in the landscape is one of the hot trends in gardening today. As people invest more time and money in their homes, landscaping becomes a primary focus. How can we make the outdoors more inviting? Paths, steps, and footbridges are three key elements that help define a landscape and how people move through it and enjoy it. An inviting path that meanders through a garden, steps that connect terraced outdoor "living rooms," and a footbridge that spans a small stream each serves a utilitarian purpose, but when designed creatively and well can infuse a property with an irresistible sense of wonder and delight.
In How to Build Paths, Steps and Footbridges, builder Peter Jeswald explains how to add practical and visually pleasing elements to any property. He advocates choices that complement, rather than dominate, the home and landscape and recommends natural and manmade materials appropriate for the goals and objectives of each project. Wood, masonry, stone, earth, and vegetation are all options he discusses for building and creating an environment that complements the topography.
Filled with color photographs, How to Build Paths, Steps and Footbridges also includes hundreds of clear instructional drawings of plans and construction techniques. Jeswald provides careful advice for every stage of a project--up-front planning, assessing a site, finalizing a design, and selecting proper tools and building materials for construction--all with the goal of providing a strong theoretical basis that will allow readers to achieve the best possible result: greater access to and interest in their outdoor spaces.
Review
"With this book, you will learn how to create an eco-friendly landscape that is visually appealing and more inviting." -San Diego Union-Tribune
"...a step-by-step guide that leads a gardener who is handy with construction tools from concept to finished project." -Tennessean
"Both novices and more advanced do-it-yourselfers will find his sections on planning a project and selecting the right materials and tools especially useful."
- Library Journal
"...this how-to book gives you not only inspiration for putting down paths and dealing with grade changes in your yard, it takes you step-by-step through the process of doing it." -Homestyle
"A great reference." -Homestyle
"For the do-it-yourselfer, each project is clearly laid out with detailed, step-by-step instructions..." - Michigan Gardener
Synopsis
Improve the accessibility of your outdoor landscape while adding drama and interest to your surroundings. From assessing the site to adding the final decorative flourishes, Peter Jeswald shows you everything you need to know to build a variety of practical and visually appealing paths, steps, and footbridges. Full of inspiring photographs, plans of sample designs, and advice on working with wood, masonry, stone, earth, and vegetation, Jeswald encourages you to get creative as you build unique paths that showcase your individual personality and style.
About the Author
Peter Jeswald is a partner at Spectrum Design Collaborative, a construction management business in Northampton, Massachusetts. He lives in Conway, Massachusetts.