. . . other features
Frequently two or more useful functions may be combined in one
structure. For instance, it may be possible that by building your garden
shelter you will make a screen for a service yard where compost heaps,
clotheslines, trash and garbage cans, and other un-beautiful but necessary adjuncts of modern life are congregated. This can be done
by merely adding a solid wall to the back of the structure, if it is free-
standing in the garden, or else the wall may be backed up by a tool shed,
an outdoor potting bench, or a garden storage house. The shelter wall
may also be used as a place to display and shelter summering house-
plants if shelves are built for the pots. They should be conveniently
placed for necessary watering but also with an eye to showing off the
potted plants in a decorative manner. The plants will thrive beneath
a lath roof where they get enough light but are protected from the
burning rays of the sun.
A shelter is a good play-place for children, too. With their vivid
imaginations it can become a castle, a pirate ship, a prairie schooner, or
the most modern of space ships. They can play in its shade all day long
during the dog days when heat stroke stalks the open lawn. They will
remember it with pleasure in adult years as a place where lunching and
dining outdoors during the green seasons helped to knit the family
together and make it a unit. When the children have gone to bed, it
becomes a refuge for the adults on pleasant summer nights.
. . . a word about materials
In general, any wood which is used structurally in building houses
may be employed for outdoor shelters. (See also section On Choosing
Lumber.) Certain woods are favored because they are less susceptible
to decay than others when used outdoors. Cedar, cypress, and redwood
are the most prominent on the list, but almost any good, sound wood,
well treated with wood preservative before it is painted, would last for
many years if given yearly inspection and repaired and repainted as
often as needed.
In some sections bamboo poles are cheap and available. They may
be used as crossbars or set closely together as slats for view-breakers, or
they may be used in conjuction with bamboo porch shades. It should be
realized, however, that bamboo is not noted for its long-lasting qualities
and that it will need periodic renewal. Reed mats, available through
nurserymen who use them as cold-frame coverings, are also available
in many places. They may be used as view-breakers on fences or as
shelter roofs, and may be rolled up and stored over winter. They do not
cost very much, and it may be that their cheapness will make them
attractive enough to compensate for their not lasting more than a few
seasons.
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