| Arts & Entertainment

The Philadelphia Inquirer (MCT) - A new book by Sean Conway and Lee Alan Buttala, "Cultivating Life: 125 Projects for Backyard Living," has some ideas most of us might not dream of trying. But it also has a slew of stuff we could, and would.

Conway is host, and Buttala director, of the eponymous public-television series that literally looks to the backyard for amusement and sustenance. Their book, published by Artisan, is due out in April; it's definitely worth $22.95.

At a minimum, you'll get a kick out of instructions to build a rice-paddy centerpiece for your outdoor table.

Actually, it's pretty cool. Once you track down some rice plants, all you need is a galvanized planter, potting mix, decorative stones, marbles or mulch, and water.

At a maximum, you'll get smart plans for building pine-board towers or trellises to support bean vines; a salad table so you can densely plant cut-and-come-again leafy greens, and some nifty tomato A-frames.

I never thought about turning a clothesline into a clematis-covered trellis, but why not? Air-drying clothes is an environmental statement nowadays; why not bookend your skivvies with flowers?

Other ideas are just plain fun, such as turning an old-fashioned milk-bottle carrier into a portable bar for the patio or building a serpentine woodpile to hide the septic system. Nothing like rethinking ordinary components of the landscape to make something artistic. And it costs nothing.

Conway and Buttala have even included delicious-sounding recipes using homegrown fruits and vegetables. My favorites: pine nut-crusted tomatoes and small-batch preserves that don't require sterilized jars.

There's some silliness in "Cultivating Life." Can't think of too many people who'd make a lamp out of an upside-down bushel basket or a sculpture out of a maple leaf.

But it takes all kinds. And just like real life, they're all here.

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© 2009, The Philadelphia Inquirer.