Whether it's something you've been meaning to do for years (in my case, finally building a compost area!) or a fun project you hadn't thought of (pebble mosaic, anyone?), spend some quality time outdoors this weekend soaking up some vitamin D and beautifying your backyard. We've rounded up five fun, satisfying outdoor projects to kickstart your weekend.
1. Add some shade to a sunny patio with a planter umbrella stand; a concrete center makes the stand super-sturdy, and plants fill the top to hide the umbrella sleeve when it's not in use.
2. Encourage bats to hang out near your house with this bat house tutorial. Need a reason to love bats? Just one of these little guys can eat more than 600 mosquitoes in a single hour!
3. Add some interest to your garden walkway with a pebble mosaic. Get creative by adding all different shapes and sizes!
4. If you have a big strong tree in your yard with an overhanging limb, it's just begging for a tree swing; not just for kids, this swing seats two adults!
5. This compost bin was designed by horticulturists at the University of California Cooperative Extension; they aimed to create a capable, efficient system that was easy to build and easy to use.
MORE OUTDOOR PROJECTS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Five Fabulous Outdoor Pallet Projects
• A Bubble Fountain DIY
• Outdoor Chalkboard
• How To Start a Compost Heap
(Images: 1. Thomas J. Story, for Sunset, 2. Wendell T. Webber, for This Old House, 3. Better Homes and Gardens, 4. Bob Jackson, for Handyman How-to, 5. Andrew Drake, for Sunset.)
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The planter umbrella stand if fantastic!
Love the weekend project ideas, thanks & MORE PLEASE! That said, a word of caution....make sure access to your own house is secure before you build a house to attract bats. I'm all for any creature that can devour our state bird (mosquitos) but this would not be wise in all locales. Do your homework.
The pebble mosaic is gorgeous but NO WAY is it a 'weekend' project. Just sayin'.
And last but not least, I'm thinkin' the word 'students' was left out of the compost bin article. Again, do your homework. Or better yet, ask a REAL gardener how to build one. And trust me when I say, it won't remotely resemble this one. And before you embark on this adventure, know that compost requires due diligence (i.e. a bit of work...it doesn't just 'happen' even when all the right components are present)
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AT, I'd like to see a post in which members share their own weekend projects...including BOTH the glory of victory AND the agony of defeat (i.e. what NOT to do). There is much to be learned through keepin it REAL.
Love the plant umbrella stand and also the pebble mosaic. The mosaic is not a weekend project, not for an inexperienced homeowner. It can be done, but patience is the key. Love these ideas and thanks for sharing.
Bats eating 600 mosquitoes an hour is a myth. The number was arrived at, after someone observed a bat eating for 15 minutes, shot it, analyzed its stomach contents and multiplied by 4.
A much better study of the feeding habits of bats was undertaken by a Graduate student (whose name escapes me at the moment) working under Prof. Brock Fenton. She examined bat guano for insect remains on a covered bridge in Pennsylvania, and found that they ate very few mosquitos, preferring to focus on larger prey.
That being said, building a bat house is a great idea. People should do it because bats are cool and are under threat due to habitat loss, not because they think it will make the mosquitos go away.
Love the compost bin. Might have to try that project.
Regardless of official numbers, if my landlord allowed me to put anything on the outside of my house, I'd totally add a bat house. I'm always amazed every time I go downtown at night in the summer and, after hours of sitting on outdoor bar and restaurant patios, I return home without a single mosquito bite thanks to all the bats in our town.