Before and After: Windsor Terrace Backyard

We are very excited to share this Brooklyn backyard transformation. We custom built the fence, planter box and storage bench with western redcedar. We installed the bluestone patio, sod and plantings. It's by far one of our favorite backyards yet. It was our first project of the season and we are super happy with it. It was quite the process so we have many photos! Check them out

Before: ,

Everything had to be removed from the yard. The old stairs and the concrete were torn out. The back of the neighbors fence faced into the yard so we built a new one on the inside.

During:

Building the fence

Colin- Let's do this!

Dana excited to start her carpentry career

Fence Complete!

Building planter and bench

Lady carpenters- game planning

Excited and tired- almost done!

Bench and planter complete!

Adding bluestone patio

Plants added! It's starting to look like a real yard!

After:

 

DIY Kokedama

What is Kokedama?

Kokedama, meaning "moss ball", is a Japanese form of garden art. The moss ball can be secured to a platform or hung by a string. They make great additions to any room(and save floor space!).

Materials

• Small plant of your choice
• Sphagnum moss
• String
• Bowl
• Scissors
• Sheet moss
• Soil

Step 1:

Get your materials ready. We mixed some clay into our soil because I've heard that Kokedamas have a problem of drying out too fast. Clay holds moisture so we thought we'd try to add some to the mix. Add water to soil mix. Soak mosses too if they're dried.

Step 2: 

Take your plant from its container and remove excess soil from around the root ball. Be careful not to damage the roots too bad. 

Step 3:

Wet the sphagnum moss and wrap a handful around the roots. 

Step 4:

Press moistened soil mix around the sphagnum into a nice round ball shape.

Step 5:

Wrap your sheet moss around your ball and secure with string.

Step 6:

Hang and enjoy!

We liked our first ones so much we went back to the store and bought a bunch more little plants to do! Mimosas and Kokedamas, sounds like a great Sunday to me. 

Dana and our Kokedama factory

Staghorn teammates Dana and Colin with their new Kokedama

To keep your new creation happy, spray with a water bottle frequently or take down and give a good soak once or twice a week. The amount of water you give will depend on the specific plants' requirements.

We made a lot. 

Decking Material Options

A cedar wonderland we just finished building!

Cedar

Cedar has been our go-to choice for decking. It’s natural tannins and oils make it resist rot and insects. On top of that, it’s beautiful! and ages well. As with all woods, the sun fades the color of the wood over time. When weathered, cedar turns a soft gray. To prevent this, a semi-transparent stain can be applied and regular maintenance to keep it looking great.

White Oak

Black Locust

Local Woods

Black Locust and White Oak are good local options for decking. Both are super strong woods and both are listed as being nearly as rot resistant as red cedar's by the USDA's Forest Products Lab. Black Locust is said to be a good local option over the tropical hardwood, Ipe. These woods both weather to a dark gray.  They are great sustainable alternatives but have a few drawbacks. Both are less readily available than cedar and cost a bit more.  

Pressure Treated Lumber

PTL is the least expensive and  most commonly used wood for decking. Preservatives and chemicals are forced into the wood at high pressure to make the wood insect and fungal resistant. In the past, PTL was infused with a chemical which was later found to be a carcinogen. Today’s wood is treated with less toxic chemicals. Like most cheap options, PTL has it’s drawbacks. It is prone to splitting and warping. Routine maintenance, including annual power washing and an application of stain every few years, will prolong the life of the wood.  

Composite

Composite is made by combining recycled plastic and wood fibers. These boards will never splinter, warp or rot thus they are extremely low-maintenance compared to wood. They won’t ever need to be sanded, refinished or stained. They do require some maintenance though because they are prone to grow mold and mildew in dark, damp areas. A good scrubbing every now and then can help prevent this. All these perks do come with a price though. They are the most expensive of the options listed so far.

I can’t leave out tropical hardwoods as an option, though we do not recommend these. Ipe is a very common deck material because it is super strong and durable. It is also very expensive and requires special tools to even work with it because it is so hard. It is a beautiful wood, but it has to be imported all the way from tropical regions which is something we do not support. According to Greenpeace, “Between 60 and 80 percent of all logging in the Brazilian Amazon is estimated to be illegal. Of the timber that is cut, as much as 70 percent is wasted at mills”. We strive to make conscious buying choices and we hope you will too.