I’m happy to be taking part in a virtual book tour for Handmade Garden Projects, a new book from Timber Press and author Lorene Edwards Forkner.
I had the opportunity to meet Lorene and tour her wonderful Seattle garden last summer, and I was thrilled to see many snippets of Lorene’s very personal and whimsical garden appear in the pages of Handmade Garden Projects.
Lorene Edwards Forker’s Lil Loafer hideaway/garden folly – love this idea!
Lorene’s garden isn’t perfect—and I’d argue that any garden that can be described as such is therefore disqualified, anyway—but it has HEART. It’s full of charm and wit. Truly! It’s a witty garden, full of Lorene’s bubbly personality. I’m happy to report that her latest book is just the same: charming, effervescent, and yet, practical.
I’ll admit I opened the book with a bit of fear. Garden project books are often so same-old, same-old. Same projects, same approach. I needn’t have worried.
Lorene’s garden boasts this gabion-style coffee table. Handmade Garden Projects teaches you how to make your own.
What I love about these projects is that they’re so varied. There are projects, like a nail-head totem, that can be whipped up in minutes, and those, like a gabion-style coffee table, that you’ll complete over a weekend. Some, like the scrap metal window ledge, convey industrial charm, others, like the sleek succulent gutter, are well, sleek and modern.
Sleek succulent gutter in the garden of Lorene Edwards Forkner. Photo by Allan Mandell.
I also love that the instructions are so simple, and so easy to follow. But what makes this an extra-special project book is Lorene’s wonderful perspective on her subject. She lives this stuff, and has the garden to prove it. It’s an inspiration to someone like me, who often overlooks the impact that simple, personal touches can have on a landscape. Handmade Garden Projects is the perfect reminder.
Lorene’s garden is full of quirky touches, like this scrap metal shelf. Photo by Allan Mandell.
Want a copy? Timber Press is generously offering one lucky reader a copy of Handmade Garden Projects. Just leave a comment – by midnight PST on May 21 – telling me if you have any projects planned for your garden this year. I’ll select a random winner.
Check out what some of the other bloggers participating in this book tour are saying (You have to check out Helen at Toronto Gardens’ post on making Lorene’s amazing tap-on canning jar lanterns. So pretty!):
Amateur Bot-ann-ist
Rock Rose
Growing a Garden in Davis
Bonney Lassie
bwisegardening
Houston Garden Girl
Bumblebee Blog
The Bicycle Garden
Our Little Acre
Common Weeder
Debra Prinzing
VintageGardenGal
Also, you should check out Lorene’s lovely blog, Planted at Home.
UPDATE: We have a winner! Commenter #23 – Shannon – was chosen by random.org. Shannon, I’ll be in touch to arrange delivery of your new book!
stephanie says
Oh I want to make some of those lantern! Maybe hang from our big tree.
Megan Borg says
I’ve started a project that will probably be on-going: it’s what I like to call Gnome Land. So far it consists of a mountain of rocks I’ve dug up over the years in the yard (digging post holes or planting trees), a couple of ceramic glazed mushrooms, a gnome and an old birdhouse made out of tree branches that I inherited from our old house.
Jennifer Simpson says
Cool! I’d love to try making that coffee table!!
Barbara Farkas says
I appreciate your whimsical creations with little expense involved. Have many gardening friends who enjoy your work when I share it.
Laura Cottrell says
I plan on making a water garden out of really neat shaped bathtub! We got the tub for free. I can’t wait to get it done!
rebecca says
Looks like a fun book! Our big project is that we are adding some windows and hopefully a porch to the side of our house! Yay for being able to see our garden! :)
Bobbi says
Stepping stones with rocks instead of glass – and planting creeping thyme between them.
Steph says
We’re finally adding pavers as edging in our garden. Plus hundreds of other projects I’m sure we’ll come up with!
Sonja says
S inspirational, I have so many garden projects, the current one I need to complete is a summer flowering wreath, collecting moss today – yeah
Sonja says
Love garden books for inspiration, working of filling a wreath with succulents, and then finding a perfect spot for it
Jen says
I’m thinking of ways to bring more vertical into our small garden space.
LisaF says
What a fantastic book! I am doing container gardening this year and always looking for creative items to use. My latest find was a large galvanized metal bucket that I’ve re-purposed as a planter. This book is right up my alley.
Stitchybritt says
Not sure if this giveaway is open to everyone around the world but it looks like such a great book that I thought I would try anyway!
My big planned project is a vertical garden… we just bought a house so I can finally tackle some of those more permanent garden projects that I had been holding off on. Can’t wait!
Christine says
I’m planning on digging out the sod in the hell strip between the sidewalk and the street in front of our house and replacing it with succulents and other drought tolerant plants.
Derrick Lepard says
Love recycling things in the garden! I have created pallet gardens, taken old light fixtures and turned them into garden lanterns, and the list goes on! I always have my eyes open for new treasures that I can put in my garden!
Lorene Edwards Forkner says
Good times in the garden. Thank you so much for the kind words about Handmade Garden Projects! So exciting to hear about other people’s projects
Heather says
I love her lil loafer. On my list of projects are my first stab at some mosaic work, painting a table for our patio, making a Welcome sign, adding some pavers to the front, and of course filling in all the gaps in the garden. :)
Gabriele says
I would love to win the book. Have projects in mind, but who knows what will happen.
Mary Ryan says
Would love to have this book! I have a roof top terrace in an urban area in Maryland close to Washington, DC. I hope to refurbish a table I have in the garden as the top wood has rotted. There is an organization here called Community Forklift so I hope to get salvaged materials to use in the project! : )
Louise says
I’m attempting to rid my garden of blight (so planing in containers this year)… I also want to move my patio around before the summer’s through (anyone have any cute young men with strong backs that they want to send my way?)
Kelly says
I am always looking for ways to re-purpose things into my garden. There is always something being ‘created’ for my garden and I would absolutely love to win this book. On the cover alone, I see things I want to try.
krakatoa says
Thanks for the opportunity. My big project this summer is a nice modern horizontal privacy fence. I can’t wait!
shannon says
I’m working on making an old filing cabinet into a planter. Hopefully I finish it soon so I can move on to the many other projects that are spinning around in my head!
Lea says
very cool book! I am working on – amongst other things – container herb garden planters for my deck. Trying to find some unique container ideas and I would love this book for inspiration! :)