Mosaic Garden Projects: Add Color to Your Garden with Tables, Fountains, Bird Baths, and More

Brody, who has been teaching mosaic in schools and art centers in Oregon for over a decade, built his first home out of tires, bricks, tin cans, and, eventually, mosaics. He writes for beginners who do not know grout from grime. Templates and tool lists are provided to make such projects as “friendly raccoon” faces and spiral stepping stones, and the reader is led through a maze of tesserae, substrates, adhesives, grouts, and the tools of the trade, such as clippers and nippers. These projects, suitable for those about to take a mosaic class or those who want a manual to refer to, are suitable for all skill levels. In summer, these pieces can provide color islands among the green of foliage. In winter, they brighten a dormant landscape. Even if your work is less ambitious than the glorious mosaics of the Byzantine empire, it will spruce up your garden with a bird feeder or a pagoda wearing a colorful mosaic layer. (Feb.)