Benjamin Moore’s new Molten Metallics paints lets you give surfaces the look of hammered metal.

Molten Metallics are high-gloss alkyd paints that produce the texture and appearance of metal. They’re suitable for use indoors or out and inhibit rust on exterior surfaces.

The paints are part of Benjamin Moore’s Studio Finishes line. They come in six ready-mixed colors: gold, copper, bronze, gun smoke, silver and charcoal. Suggested retail prices are $15.95 for a pint and $22.95 for a quart.

The product is available at some Benjamin Moore retailers. You can find nearby stores at www.benjaminmoore.com, but call first to make sure they carry Molten Metallics.

ON THE SHELF

Whitney Cohen and John Fisher look at gardens as playgrounds with a purpose.

The two are garden education directors at Life Lab, a California nonprofit that offers farm- and garden-based programs. They’re experts at getting kids engaged in gardening, and they’ve compiled their ideas into The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids: 101 Ways to Get Kids Outside, Dirty, and Having Fun (Timber Press, $19.95 in softcover).

Cohen and Fisher urge parents to make their gardens places where kids feel free to play and explore as well as work. They offer ideas designed to be affordable and achievable for busy parents, from such simple activities as making mud pies to more involved undertakings like building an owl house.

They also offer pointers for designing family-friendly gardens, involving kids in the work of growing and encouraging them to eat the fruits of their labors.