Reading a 1970s patio book my dad left me

I was flipping through this old Patio Living guide from 1974 my dad had stashed in the garage. It had all these tips for building a brick planter box and using pea gravel for drainage. Made me realize how much we overthink stuff now with fancy composite decks and prefab kits. Has anyone else found old resources that actually hold up better than modern advice?

3 comments

3 Comments

sethhernandez28d ago

My grandpa had this 1960s lawn care manual that said to just let clover grow in with the grass because it stays green without all the watering. Tried it a few years back and my lawn stayed green during a drought while the neighbors' fancy fescue turned to straw. Sometimes old school just works better because nobody was trying to sell you something.

morgan89828d ago

I built a raised bed using that same 1970s method with pea gravel and it's still going strong 12 years later, never had drainage issues like my buddy's fancy kit.

sean_torres7128d ago

That pea gravel method works because it mimics natural soil layers instead of fighting them.