Post-renovation, the back yard was filled with debris, including shards of concrete. “Instead of dumping the stuff, we used what was there to create what I call an urban berm,” says Arrington. The berm was built on shards of concrete that were covered with a little landscape fabric, and topped with about two feet of soil, which was brought in for the entire yard. “When we pop elevations into a garden, the shadows change, the way we can see the plants inside changes. If you’re in the hot tub and you’re looking at a berm, it’s like the plants are surrounding you. That sense of privacy is something we wanted to create,” says Arrington.
3. Focus on local materials.
With the naturalistic aesthetic, hot tub, and gravel as their starting points, Arrington and Green leaned into local materials and native plants. Arrington notes that because the rock steps, pea gravel, and cedar are all locally sourced, they are more sustainable—and just feel right. “The colors are already a part of the landscape,” he says.
4. A small garden needs curves.
Sarah Jefferys Architecture Brooklyn Backyard
To create the wild, rambling feeling their clients desired, curves were essential, says Green. Using cedar shakes to edge the beds allowed them to perfect each swooping bed design. “The curves are informal, but still there is an art to creating and finessing them to feel natural, ” says Green, who describes how one of them would look down from the deck while the other placed the edging.
5. Rethink the privacy fence.
Not all fences are created equal. “The first day we stood back there, it was so hot and the air was really stagnant,” says Green of the existing fence. To get better air circulation in the garden, Arrington and Green proposed a louvered design. Crafted from rough cedar, it provides natural texture and will become grayer over time. Because privacy was still a concern, they designed the angle and span between louvers to be on the tighter side; relaxing the span would bring even more air in.
Caption: The bed at the base of the stairs is the sunniest spot in the garden, the amsonia turns golden yellow in fall. Photo courtesy of Verru Design.
6. Select a strong color theme.
A pale blush color theme holds the plant palette together in this garden. Designed to bloom throughout the year, Arrington and Green included Magnolia virginiana, which blooms a a silky white-almost blush color in spring; Geranium Biokovo, which is really light blush on the inside; and ‘Limelight’ hydrangea, which turns a twinge of blush at the end of the season.
Made from the mighty cedar tree, cedarwood essential oil creates a relaxing aroma that can’t be ignored. Once combined with the sweet yet tart fragrance of lime, you have a slightly masculine and refreshing soap. Delicately speckled with spirulina powder for colour, add this lime and cedarwood soap recipe to your winter crafting list.
If you’re looking for a masculine essential oil blend for soap, you can’t go wrong with the combination of cedarwood and lime. It’s got the bright and fresh scent of lime coupled with the earthy, deep, and woodsy scent of cedarwood.
The blend creates a nice scent for the fall and winter months and makes a great gift for those who like those earthy masculine scents. This is a very clean and fresh soap that is good for deodorizing but also cozy and nourishing.
Let’s get into it!
This soap is really great for anyone who loves woodsy smells.
What Does Cedarwood Soap Smell Like?
When I think of cedarwood essential oil, my mind goes to a newly built deck, a fresh layer of mulch, an antique cedarwood chest, and perhaps most of all, pencils! Cedar trees have one of the strongest scents in nature and once it’s cut, you can smell it from many feet away.
Over the years, cedarwood has turned into a more masculine scent as it is used in many aftershaves, deodorants, and other products tailored to men. While some may consider this a manly soap, I adore the scent and will use it any day of the week on myself.
The best way I can describe the scent of cedarwood would be the feeling of a deep walk through the wood. Sweet and woody, it has balsamic undertones and smells a little spicier than other wood oils. Keep in mind, there are many different types of cedarwood trees and each oil will smell a little different.
I can’t get enough of cedarwood. In fact, I have another cedarwood-inspired winter forest soap perfect for the holiday season.
The lime essential oils also help to brighten up the woody top notes.
What is Cedarwood Soap Good For?
We can put a big checkmark next to the scent of cedarwood soap, but what exactly is it good for? The cedarwood essential oil plays double duty in this recipe, providing both a refreshing scent as well as plenty of skin benefits.
The scent itself is extremely strong and works well for deodorizing. You can use the soap to refresh after the gym or a long day working outside in the garden. Your skin will carry a lighter version of the scent and leave you smelling like a walk in the woods.
The antibacterial properties of cedarwood essential oil also help to improve acne and other skin irritations by reducing pain, swelling, and inflammation.
Some people also use the scent for meditation. It is said to have metaphysical properties that can help increase a spiritual connection. The oil is known for being a sedative, working to decrease anxiety and encourage a night of better sleep.
The scent carries lightly on the skin after use.
The Benefits of Lime Soap
Now we can’t forget about the other half of this super duo! Much like its taste, lime has a zesty and slightly sour scent. And just like lemon, it’s packed full of antioxidants that certainly can’t hurt to apply to the skin.
A relatively affordable essential oil, lime is known most for its astringent and antiseptic properties. Many use it to purify and cleanse, as it’s known for treating skin irritations such as acne and soothe inflamed surfaces.
While you can use this soap any time of the year, I especially like it for use in the winter.
This recipe is a very moisturizing lime soap that will help to keep your hands from drying out. After all, winter has a nasty habit of sucking out every ounce of moisture from our skin. This can result in cracking skin, which can fill with unwanted bacteria and create more skin problems.
But in comes the cleansing lime to save the day! Your winter skin will be more than happy to soak in the lather of this lime and cedarwood soap.
The blend of oils in this soap is super moisturizing and ideal for dry skin.
Lime and Cedarwood Soap Recipe
Delight the senses with this lime and cedar soap, perfect for mimicking the freshness of the cool season. This is one of the many soap recipes I have on Garden Therapy! For more detailed instructions, be sure to check out my basic cold process soap recipe.
This cedar soap is coloured with spirulina powder. Spirulina powder is dried algae that has a deep blue-green colour. However, the colour fades over time.
Add it generously (I use 1 tsp), knowing that the colour will become less prominent the older the soap gets. I also topped it with calendula petals and dried parsley, both of which hold their colour really well in soap!
Calendula petals and parsley flakes are used as toppers for the soap.
Ingredients
This recipe makes 2 lbs of soap. See the recipe card for exact measurements.
Add a swirl with the spirulina powder for extra pretty soap.
Make It!
Before you get started, measure out all your ingredients beforehand with a kitchen scale.
Melt all your oils and cocoa butter together over low heat. You want a temperature of 115° F.
While your oils are heating, make your lye water in the heatproof glass. Stir continuously in a well-ventilated area until completely dissolved. Move the glass to an ice bath until it also cools to a temperature of 115° F.
Calendula petals offer a nice contrast to the green.
Ensure your oil and lye water are at the same temperature, and then slowly add the water to the oils in a large bowl. Use the immersion blender and blend until it reaches a light trace. Add in your essential oils and blend in well.
Next, I add a teaspoon of spirulina to one side of the bowl and use my spatula in small circles just along the edge of the bowl. This mixes the spirulina with the soap without spreading it throughout the entire mixture. Once the powder is mixed into a dark green circle at the edge of the bowl, I pull it through the soap once or twice before pouring it into the soap mould.
Sprinkle the top with calendula petals and dried parsley. Move the soap somewhere warm for 48 hours before unmolding the soap. You can then cut it into sections and let it cure in a cool dark place for 6 weeks before lathering up.
FAQ For Cedarwood Soap
Is there a substitute for rice bran oil?
Yes, you can replace it with macadamia nut oil, grapeseed oil, shea butter, or sweet almond oil.
Is cedarwood the same as sandalwood?
Sandalwood is a different kind of tree variety, though they’re often found in the same forests as cedars. They have similar fragrances, though may differ slightly in scent. Sandalwood will be more likely to have a sweet, smoky scent.
What is the colour of spirulina soap?
Spirulina powder is a type of blue-green algae that is ground up. It has a dark bluish, green colour. It’s a great natural colourant for soap, and doesn’t fade much over time.
More Soap-Making Posts
Lime and Cedarwood Soap
Take a walk through the woods with this sweetly masculine lime and cedarwood soap recipe. This recipe makes 2 lbs of soap.
Measure out your ingredients on the scale.
Melt oils and cocoa butter to 115°F over low heat.
Make your lye water by combining lye and water in a heatproof glass. Stir until dissolved and then cool in an ice bath to 115°F.
Slowly add lye water to oils in a large bowl. Blend until it reaches a light trace.
Add in essential oils and blend again.
Add the spirulina powder to one side of the bowl. Use a spatula to make small circles along the edge of the bowl until the powder creates a dark green circle around the edge of the bowl. Pull the dark green through the soap once or twice.
Sprinkle dried calendula and parsley on top.
Pour into soap mold and move somewhere warm for 48 hours.
Cut into equal sections and let soap cure for 6 weeks before use in a cool, dark place.
Would you like to add an extra 250 square feet of living space without spending tens of thousands of dollars? Read on to learn everything you need to know:
What is the difference between a deck and a patio?
A patio is built at ground level, on a level surface, and typically is constructed of a “permanent” material such as stone pavers, brick, or poured concrete. A deck floats above the ground, supported by footings, at a height of anywhere from a few inches to many feet and can be built on an existing slope.
Typically, a patio is considered more of a permanent feature–and is more expensive to build. For instance, a 250-square-foot bluestone patio costs $3,797 to build (including materials) on average, more than twice as much as the $1,882 price tag to build a wood deck of the same size, according to Homewyse.
Pros know: Start the design process by consulting a landscape architect or designer, who will help you come up with a design based on how you want to use a deck and the physical properties of your land (Does your yard slope? Is the ground marshy? Do you want to build around existing trees without causing them damage?). A professional also will know if you need a permit for a deck and whether local building codes require a railing.
Attached vs. freestanding: You can build a freestanding deck on your property, but if you plan to use a deck as an extension to everyday living space, consider attaching it to the house for indoor-outdoor flow. Use string and stakes to lay out the design to make sure you like the size and shape.
After you have a plan in hand, if you are extremely handy you may want to build your own deck. But keep in mind there is more to building a deck than sawing and nailing lumber planks. In a cold climate, you will need to dig piers below the frost line to support the deck and make sure it doesn’t heave in winter as the ground freezes and thaws. If you are not Bob Vila, you probably will be better off (and save money in the long run) by hiring a contractor or master carpenter.
Above: In Carmel Valley, California architects Sagan Piechota and contractors Stocker Allaire designed a multi-tiered batu wood deck. Photograph by Joe Fletcher courtesy of Sagan Piechota Architecture, from Design Trend: 15 Wooden Decks That Disappear Into the Landscape.
Is wood the best material for a deck?
Wood is our favorite choice for a deck because it’s a natural material that complements the surrounding landscape; left untreated, wood decks will fade to a soft silver color that plays a supporting role to the garden that surrounds it. Other than wood, the best choice for a deck is a composite material–made of a combination of wood and recycled plastic–which has its own pros and cons.
The legal battle over a 9-year-old’s pet goat that was slaughtered after her family backed out of the Shasta District Fair continued this week after California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta’s office countersued the girl’s mother, blaming her for the ordeal and saying she should pay the defense’s legal fees.
In a Tuesday countersuit filed in federal court in Sacramento, Bonta’s office asked that the lawsuit over the goat named Cedar be dismissed, saying that the girl’s mother, Jessica Long, signed a contract when she entered the animal in the livestock auction. The counterclaim also said that Long should pay for the legal fees of the defense and that the federal court doesn’t have jurisdiction over the incident.
Under the contract Long signed, according to the court filing, she agreed that she wouldn’t hold the Shasta fair responsible for any injury or damage.
“Jessica Long has a duty to defend defendants/counter-claimants as officers, agents, and/or employees of the Shasta County District Fair under the terms of the contract,” according to the state attorney general’s filing.
The ordeal began when Long bought the goat for her daughter to enter into the 4-H program, which teaches children how to raise farm animals that are eventually entered into an auction to be sold and slaughtered.
When it came time for Cedar to be auctioned off, however, Long’s daughter couldn’t go through with it and “sobbed in her pen with her goat,” Long wrote to the Shasta County fair’s manager on June 17.
Long begged the fair to let her daughter keep Cedar, despite the goat having already been sold at auction for $902 to state Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber). She also offered to repay the fair district and the bidder whatever costs had been incurred.
But fair officials refused, threatened to call police and rebuffed Long’s attempt to find another outcome for Cedar.
“Making an exception for you will only teach [our] youth that they do not have to abide by the rules,” Shasta District Fair Chief Executive Melanie Silva wrote to Long in an email. “Also, in this era of social media this has been a negative experience for the fairgrounds as this has been all over Facebook and Instagram.”
Long took Cedar to a farm in Sonoma County because she and her family live in a residential area in Shasta County and are unable to keep farm animals there. Fair officials then contacted the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.
Armed with a search warrant, authorities took possession of the animal and returned it for slaughter.
Long then filed a federal lawsuit last year against the county and Shasta District Fair officials, saying that they violated her daughter’s 4th and 14th Amendment rights and committed an “egregious waste of police resources” when detectives from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office drove more than 500 miles across Northern California to try to find the goat.
Times staff writer Salvador Hernandez contributed to this report.
It’s time to deck the halls and turn your home into a cozy winter wonderland. Rather than pull out the dusty, plastic garland that sheds or shell out the big bucks for a custom-made garland, try making your own cedar garland. Here’s how to make a cedar Christmas garland using minimal materials.
From Christmas trees to wreaths, it’s no wonder we love to decorate our homes with fresh greens during the holidays. In the darkest days of winter, we like to be reminded of the lush greenery of spring and summer. Luckily, we have evergreens to keep us company in the winter!
Fresh garden greens aren’t just for wreaths. An evergreen garland, or swag, can instantly cheer up a porch, banister, or fireplace. Garland can be made from many types of evergreen boughs. Generally, anything you can use for outdoor wreaths can be used for outdoor garlands.
But some greenery is better than others.
If you plan to bring your garland inside, the conditions are much drier, and watering will be difficult. I like cedar because it holds its leaves when dry and doesn’t turn brown for a very long time. I also love the look of the draping cedar leaves as they flop over the edges of a banister or fireplace.
If you want to make your own whimsical and natural cedar garland, keep reading!
Here’s what we’ll be covering today…
First, a Note on Accessibility
I have a bone to pick when it comes to garlands. For a long time, I’ve avoided posting a Christmas garland because I didn’t want to encourage people to block off railings for those who might need them.
Hand railings are essential for accessibility. People with mobility issues rely on them to get up stairs and avoid slips and falls. There are many invisible disabilities, so never assume your space is exempt from the rule.
Whether it’s the postman delivering your holiday packages or Christmas carolers who come to brighten your day, you never know you may be visiting your space and using the railing. Plus, you always want them something to grab in an emergency, like slipping on ice.
So please, if you’re making a Christmas garland with cedar, do not use it to decorate and block railings.
Add garland to railings outside that won’t be used, draped over windows, or lining the porch.
How to Make a Cedar Christmas Garland
You don’t need many materials to create this cedar Christmas garland. You can keep it as simple as you like, using cedar alone or adding in other greenery and decor for texture. And if you have a cedar tree in your yard, this is the perfect opportunity to prune it back and make something out of its branches.
Materials
A thick wire can also act as a base, helping to hold the garland shape if you’re winding it around something.
Make It!
Start by cutting the jute or rope to the length of the garland that you want to create. If you plan on hanging your garland, add extra length on either end to make loops for hanging.
It helps to tie my rope to something sturdy while making my cedar garland, allowing me to pull the rope tight.
Wrap your floral wire a few times around the base of the bunch until it feels secure.
Gather a nice handful of cedar and align the stems. If you’re adding more greenery than just cedar, alternate your types of greenery for a more natural look.
Secure this first bunch to the top end of the rope by wrapping it with floral wire. With one hand, hold your bunch and the rope tight while you wrap the base of the bunch with floral wire with the other hand.
Green floral wire gets hidden under the leaves.
Then, you’ll continue snipping cedar branches and securing bunches to the rope. As you layer them, overlapping and hiding the wire of the previous bunch. Alternate the direction that the bunches face for a more natural look.
When you get to the end of the garland, tie a few smaller cedar branches pointing the opposite direction of the other branches. Tie with floral wire to disguise the stems of the end branches.
It’s easy to tuck in the last bunch and hide the end of the rope.
Add Décor to Your Christmas Garland
This garland has a casual form and makes a wonderful backdrop to display holiday décor: natural elements, such as oversized sugar pinecones, mixed with unexpected items, such as sparkly, vintage mason jars lit with a string of fairy lights, create an eclectic-natural look.
You can make pinecone spheres to add to the cedar garland by gluing the bases of many mini pinecones onto a Styrofoam ball with a hot glue gun. Be sure to dry the pinecones first, so they are fully open.
Pinecone spheres are best made with small pinecones.
Garland Not Kindling
Take caution if you decorate your fireplace with soon-to-be-dry plant material (AKA kindling). Do not build a fire if there is any spark danger at all.
In my home, the gas fire is completely behind glass. Even still, the fireplace is kept on a low setting and is never left unattended. Safety comes first and beauty second.
Yes, fresh greenery is flammable still! So be safe.
Frequently Asked Questions About Making a Cedar Garland
Why you should use a real cedar garland?
Christmas garlands with cedar are quite simple to make. You can even forage for the clippings, making it an affordable option. The best reason to opt for a real cedar garland instead of a faux one is to avoid plastic. Faux Christmas greenery doesn’t usually have as long a lifespan as we might think; most faux Christmas trees are only used for six years.
After the season, you can compost the leaves and even the twine, saving the floral wire for another project or next year’s Christmas garland.
How long will a cedar garland last?
Cedar garlands should last about two weeks indoors if they’re kept away from heat sources. Cedar keeps fairly well compared to other evergreens. If you place your garland outside, it will last much longer, upwards of a month.
How do I keep my garland alive?
The key to making your cedar Christmas garland last is to keep it from drying out. Avoid placing it by any heat registers or fire. So yes, while it may look good above the fireplace, it’s probably not the best spot for the garland if you intend on having a fire. It’s also a major safety concern.
To keep your cedar garland hydrated, you can spritz it daily with a spray bottle on a misting setting. If possible, aim for the base of the plant.
What’s the best way to add lights to a cedar garland?
You’ll want to add lights (and other décor) once you’ve made the garland rather than wrapping it in the garland itself.
Start at one end of the garland and start zigzagging the lights across the garland. Tuck in some lights to be nestled in the greens and have others sitting on top.
PVC-Reinforced Cedar Window Boxes and Planters Combine Low Maintenance and the Farmhouse Trend
Press Release –
Jan 11, 2023
BALL GROUND, Ga., January 11, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Flower Window Boxes, Inc. is introducing a new cedar window boxes and planters line with a reinforced PVC core that finally combines the beauty of red western cedar with the longevity of PVC. A typical wooden window box, flower box, or planter will generally last approximately 3-5 years, and this is only if proper lining, sealing, and maintenance is done each year. One solution to this problem has been using woods like cedar or cypress, which have a natural resistance to bugs and rotting and generally add a couple more years of life to the containers. Despite cedar’s reputation as rot-resistant, direct contact with water, soil, flowers, and plants will still result in sooner-than-desired decay. At Flower Window Boxes, Inc., they have attacked this problem from the inside of the box, where soil is in direct contact and the majority of rotting happens, by reinforcing the box with a PVC, no-rot inner core. This allows the plants, soil, and flowers to sit in direct contact with a waterproof and rotproof surface while using the cedar as more of an exterior veneer for the look of the box.
“The time to do this is long overdue. We have been manufacturing PVC window boxes for the last 14 years, and our motto has always been no rot, lifetime guarantee. For this reason, we were always hesitant to introduce cedar or other woods into our product line. The emerging farmhouse trend, however, has shown us that there is an appetite for cedar and other high-quality wood products on the outside of people’s homes, and so we felt it was time to engineer a new cedar window box line that would incorporate both the beauty and trendiness of cedar with the quality and longevity of PVC. We call our new design the Farmhouse window box,” says Matt Buquoi, owner of Flower Window Boxes.
The new line of cedar window boxes will be available on the website in sizes ranging from 24″ long to 120″ long, with all sizes in between available to be custom-made. In addition to custom window boxes, they also offer over a dozen different designs and styles of PVC window boxes for customers, available in 14 different standard sizes ready to order right off the website. They will also be offering a line of freestanding cedar planter boxes as well, and these outdoor planters will be available in long rectangular planter lengths of all sizes to fit almost any space. All of the flower boxes will feature as an option their patented reservoir systems that turn any of their boxes into self-watering window boxes.
Flower Window Boxes, Inc. is not just a window box and planter company. They have morphed over the past five years into more of a curb appeal company, and they have an entire cedar product line of decorative gables, brackets, corbels, exterior shutters, mantels, and more. Cedar architectural accents on the exterior of homes have become a very popular trend during the farmhouse craze, especially here in Atlanta, Georgia. This new product line is the first major new product since they released their Forever Shutters composite PVC shutter product line a few years ago, and they are super excited by the positive response they have already gotten back from their customers online.
Flower Window Boxes, Inc. has been featured on shows such as HGTV, The Today Show, Ask This Old House, Renovation Island, and more.
