Books helps tackle big, small backyard projects

When it comes to making the most of outdoor living, we have so much going for us in Southern Arizona.

Here, spring and fall often are ideal seasons for entertaining family and friends on the patio, by the pool or in the garden. Even in the summer, cool mornings and twilight times can provide perfect outside opportunities. And who could forget a potluck savored outside on a pleasant winter afternoon?

Whether you’re starting fresh in a new home or wanting to add some distinctive touches to an established yard, be sure to check out the wealth of attractive, nature-based ideas in “Sean Conway’s Cultivating Life: 125 Projects for Backyard Living.”

Conway, host of the popular “Cultivating Life” television show, has teamed up with the show’s executive producer and director, Lee Alan Buttala, to show us how to remodel our backyards into multipurpose living spaces for dining, entertaining and spending quality time with friends and family.

These easy, user-friendly projects cover a broad range — from creating a simple herb pot or vase, to building a sunflower seed bird feeder, a climbing rose trellis or a salad table that’s ideal for growing baby lettuce in the spring time.

Packed with color photographs, expert tips and easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, the book presents small crafts and larger woodworking activities. You can learn how to make a sun-print tablecloth as well as build a porch swing.


Topics include the outdoor kitchen, flora, fruit, herbs, vegetables, water, trees and more.

Among the clever mix of small craft projects are creating bean votives by placing a tea candle in a glass of heirloom beans for a touch of rustic elegance.

You’ll also find out about placing a stone border around a perennial bed, assembling a tabletop rice paddy, planting rain lilies and hanging a weed basket in the garden to prevent weed piles from accumulating in the garden.

Those attracted to larger woodworking projects can follow instructions for building a cedar potting bench, assembling a corncrib for storage, and making an attractive storage space for pool toys, cushions or lawn chairs.

Whether you want a backyard kitchen, family room or simply a nice, quiet spot to relax in, this book is sure to inspire you with its earthy mix of projects you can make yourself or turn into a family activity.

An added treat in “CULTIVATING LIFE” for us food aficionados are recipes such as Bean Curry with Cauliflower in the vegetable chapter and Fiddlehead Fern Salad in the section on ferns, mushrooms and moss.

Particularly apt for our area are instructions on drying, roasting and freezing chili peppers and making chile ristras.

Conway and Buttala point out that “whether the project we take on is large or small, we can simplify our lives and make outdoor living easier, and in the process we can find time to reconnect with family and friends and our own need to create and have pride in the work we do.”