The Backyard Envy Team Has a Genius Way to Create Cozy, Private Spaces

If you caught the premiere of Backyard Envy tonight, then you’re probably like me: staring into the abyss of your outdoor space seeing a whole lot of missed opportunities. Crumbling patios, overgrown plantings, mismatched furniture… it’s a hot mess out there. But luckily, Garrett Magee, James DeSantis and Melissa Brasier are giving us all a hefty dose of inspiration when it comes to our backyards. And while I’m on the east coast and will have to wait a few months 'til the weather breaks and I can break out my gardening gloves out, those of you in warmer climes can start whipping your outdoor spaces into shape pronto.

Garrett, James, and Melissa, who make up the exterior design firm Manscapers, tackle backyards from a landscaping, construction, and business relations POV. In this episode, we were totally taken with the planters they installed atop a townhouse in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Lining both the home’s deck and rooftop with cedar planters — that Manscapers then torched with fire to take on a dark black hue — Manscapers created the custom built-in “meadow boxes” to house a massive amount of plantings and to add some much-needed privacy from neighbors’ prying eyes. Read: Oversized planters are the backyard investment that keeps on giving!

Below we’ve rounded up a bunch of options that could work for your outdoor space, from a cedar one that you too could burn with fire (just be very careful!) to black-hued options in a variety of materials and price points. Line the outer edges of your entertaining spaces with these bad boys, then fill ‘em up with a variety of grasses and flowers, creating your very own meadow boxes. Feeling inspired? Then be sure to tune into Backyard Envy every Thursday at 10/9c!