Radius Saber
Radius Saber
Garden Bench With Planters
Need a cozy retreat where you can read a book or just sit and enjoy your garden? This redwood bench with planters on each end is perfect for a secluded getaway right in your backyard. No matter where you place the bench, you can bring
Figure A
Homeowner Charlotte Hamilton already had a large deck for entertaining. What she wanted was a spot where she could be alone and relax with a book. She chose a spot under some shady oak trees in her side yard (figure B).
Landscape designer Deborah Kuchar of Big
Time Gardening designed a redwood bench and planter combo that fit in well with Hamilton’s rustic redwood house, as well as the woodsy side yard. She says that placing a bench in an enclosed setting buffered by trees or landscaping creates a feel of seclusion or intimacy, but this bench would work just as well in an open area overlooking a focal point. Her design includes a natural pebble base for the bench, surrounded by plants, lush greenery and cedar mulch.
Kuchar estimates that a professional would charge about $1,500 for materials and labor (not including plants), but do-it-yourselfers could cut their costs to only $300. This project, which requires basic carpentry skills, is rated a 3 on a difficulty scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (difficult) and can be completed in two weekends.
Master Carpenter Tim Rice of Rice Construction says you’ll need a circular saw, jigsaw, saber saw, biscuit joiner and router–all available for rent at hardware stores–to build the bench/planter combo.
Figure B
Use rot-resistant, pressure-treated 2″ x 6″ fir planks for the bottom frames since they will be placed on the ground, and use redwood for the two top frames. Figure B shows a diagram of the bench.
Figure C
To give the planters a half-moon curve, cut three fir planks 14 inches long, each with a 30-degree angle on each end. Be sure to measure precisely as you go so that the pieces fit together well. Lay out the cut planks so that the angles fit snuggly (figure C).
Figure D
Add a 2×4 cut to 27 inches to form the inner edge of the frame. Notch the ends of the planks with a biscuit joiner, and fit the pieces together with biscuit joints. Use a measuring tape anchored with a nail in the middle of the 2×4 to draw the outer arch with an 11-1/4″ radius. Draw the inner arch 2 inches in from the outer arch. Cut along the lines with a jigsaw. Piece the frame together by joining the pieces with wood glue and drive in 3-inch galvanized screws. Figure D shows a completed frame. Use the first frame as a template for marking the inner and outer arches of the other bottom frame and the two redwood top frames. Complete the other frames as you did the first frame.
Figure E
Step Two: Building the Shelves
The shelves will be hidden inside the planters, so use a lower-grade redwood. Set a bottom frame on top of four 2×4s placed side by side, and trace the outer shape of the frame onto the planks. Cut out the curves with a jigsaw. Use wood glue and biscuit joints to hold the planks together. Screw two 2″ x 2″ braces to the underside of the shelf. Drill six holes through the shelf for drainage (figure E). Make another shelf for the other planter.
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Caravans for Sale
I have worked in the social service industry for several years. Through the years I have worked in large and small agencies and I have worked in the private as well as the public sector. Each agency has advantages and disadvantages. In larger agencies they tend to have the social workers specialize in one certain area whether that is adult services or child services. If the agency serves a large population then you specialize within those categories as well such as mental health, protection, developmental disabilities or physical disabilities. Regardless of what area you specialize in it is helpful to know how to access all services.
At this point in my career I am working for a private agency serving people that have been homeless. In order to qualify for the program you have to be staying in a shelter and one person in the family has to have a disability of some sort. Also we serve families where at least one person is under the age of eighteen. This is a challenging case management position because I need to know a wide variety of services. On any given day I can do everything from report child abuse to helping people find transportation. A few weeks ago one of the clients had saved enough money to be able to but a vehicle. He asked me to help him locate caravans for sale. He had under a thousand dollars to spend. The program is located in a rural area so we needed to find caravans for sale within a fifty mile radius of the program so that I would not have to spend a great deal of case management time driving him all over looking at different vans.
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About the Author
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