Birding on Deck: Bird Feeding
Welcome to our third in a series of articles about backyard birding “On Deck!” The first thing to know when it comes to feeding your backyard birds is that there are different types of feed and feeders for different types of birds. It can, unfortunately, be a bit overwhelming for the beginner, as there’s a seemingly endless array of options and effects. There are “loose” feeders such tray, tube and house (or “hopper”) styles, suet or seed cylinders, bark butter pellets and tubs, and specialized feeders and food for birds such as hummingbirds, orioles and goldfinches. There are various placements as well. Feeders can be hung “on deck” or from trees, on the top or side of deck railings, with or without extension arms, or mounted on poles. Some feeders are squirrel proof, and all tube feeders can be made squirrel and large-bird proof with an added cage. Yup, there sure is a lot to know. Fortunately, DeckTec spoke with birding expert Scott Menough, co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Lakewood and host of BirdTalk radio[...]
We Want Your Best Photos: Picture This! Contest
Are you proud of your deck? Well, we’ve got some good news for you: It’s that time again – time to start sending in your best photos for our annual Picture This! contest. This is your chance to show off your deck décor, furnishings and personal touches. Got some colorful hanging plants or a lush growing garden, a beautiful sundial or other outdoor art? We’d love to see all that greenery and artistry as well as those dinner party “glamour shots” of you and your loved ones out there “On Deck” enjoying yourselves to the hilt. Show us how good it gets out there! And we’ve got some great prizes for the top submissions: Barbecue catering for 20 goes to the first prize winner, an Ace Hardware gift certificate is second prize, and third prize is your choice of an outdoor thermometer or a barbecue grill set. Winning entries may be showcased in future editions of our newsletter. We’ll stage it, shoot it and take some drone shots. What have you got to lose? Share your[...]
29 Years and Still Going Strong
This month, July, DeckTec officially entered its 29th year of business. It’s not a milestone anniversary like a 25th or 30th, but another year to celebrate nonetheless. Over the years DeckTec has managed to survive and grow through more than a few boom and bust cycles. However, nothing compares to the crazy demand we have been experiencing this year. In fact, after the economy tanked in 2008, my father grew concerned and asked me what I planned to do if no one wanted a non-essential home addition like a custom deck anymore. Honestly, I didn’t have an answer for him. I just couldn’t imagine doing anything other than continuing to create premium unique outdoor living environments. It turned out custom outdoor living additions are more important and essential than I could’ve ever imagined. While so many people endure jobs that they don’t really care for, I enjoy my work every single day. I love creating decks, outdoor rooms, and outdoor living environments. It’s been a privilege to meet so many wonderful people and work in an unimaginable number[...]
Little Brother John’s Jalapeno BBQ Sauce
Nothing says summer like a barbecue, and nothing says barbecue like BBQ Sauce! Try this BBQ sauce as your next backyard event, courtesy of John Sparhawk! Ingredients 2-4 Jalapeno peppers, minced 1½ c. ketchup 1½ c. jalapeno ketchup 1 c. yellow mustard ¼ c. Worcestershire sauce ¼ c. apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp. garlic powder 1 tbsp. onion powder 1 tbsp. ground black pepper 1 tbsp. salt ½ tbsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. cayenne pepper ½ tsp. liquid smoke ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg ¼ tsp. ground cumin ½ c. honey 1 c. brown sugar Directions Combine all ingredients except honey and brown sugar in a sauce pan and very slowly bring the mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat and add honey and brown sugar. Mix well and continue to stir occasionally as sauce cools. Store in a covered glass container in the refrigerator.
Birding on Deck Part 2: Woodpeckers, Birdhouses and Nesting Structures
Welcome to our second in a series of articles about backyard birding “on deck!” You can find the first article here You may be thinking, “I want to attract birds such as robins, wrens and hummingbirds to my yard, but I don’t want woodpeckers poking holes in my house!” Well, of course you don’t! No one wants holes in their house, but according to Scott Menough, co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Lakewood and host of BirdTalk radio on KNUS and KDMT, there’s nothing to worry about. “We don’t look at woodpeckers as pest birds, although we may be concerned about some of their activities. We may want to modify behaviors so people can enjoy these birds. The little downy woodpecker is one that people often enjoy watching,” Menough said. “If woodpeckers start making holes in the side of your house, put up a [northern] flicker-specific nest box and these birds will guard your house – flickers are territorial and they’ll keep other birds from pecking on your house. You would mount the flicker nest box right[...]
Creating an Adult Treehouse
Years ago, (I won’t say how many) when I was growing up as a young child in Maryland, our community was surrounded by wooded areas that came to form an important part of my elementary school years. When summer arrived and school was out, my three brothers, my friends and I seemed to live and play in those woods from morning until night. After playing our usual round of games several kids of all ages would invariably get together to create some kind of makeshift “Swiss Family Robinson” style treehouse. We would do this by wedging, notching and nailing whatever tree limbs we could find laying around. We made our own fun and it didn’t get much better. I think I got tuned into that unique feeling of elevation, having a private sanctuary for my friends and I that was literally above it all. Speaking of elevation, I eventually moved out here to Colorado, where of course there aren’t as many trees, and it felt really different to me. I got drawn into landscaping and creating[...]
Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Burgers
The unofficial start of summer is here, try these delicious stuffed burgers at your next backyard party! Yields: 4 Ingredients 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 c. shredded mozzarella 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan 1/2 c. frozen spinach, defrosted 1/2 c. chopped artichoke hearts 1 clove garlic, minced pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional) kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 lb. ground beef 4 Hamburger buns Vegetable oil, for brushing Directions In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, artichoke hearts, garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined. Separate beef into 8 thin patties. Place a large dollop of the cream cheese mixture into the middle of a patty. Place another patty on top and pinch the seams together. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Season patties with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to grill. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grease the grates with vegetable oil then add the patties. Grill until cooked to your liking, about 4 minutes per[...]
Steve in the O’Meara Lounge
Steve Sparhawk, the owner of DeckTec chatted with Willie B. from KBPI on Friday in the O'Meara Lounge. Learn a bit about DeckTec and about who we are looking to hire for carpenters and carpenter helpers!
The Joys of Birding “On Deck”
Welcome to the first in our series of articles on backyard “on deck” birding! We were fortunate to speak with metro area birding expert Scott Menough, owner with his wife, Sandy, of Wild Birds Unlimited in Lakewood since 1989. Scott is the host of BirdTalk radio, which airs Saturdays from noon to 1 p.m. on 710 KNUS and 1690 KDMT, and also hosts a podcast at BirdTalkGuys.com. Perhaps you’ve never thought about attracting more birds to your yard? Well, according to Scott, conditions here are excellent for doing exactly that. “In Colorado we’re very lucky to have a variety of habitat that is attractive to wild birds, some year-round, and some seasonally,” he said. According to Menough, feathered friends that you can commonly see year-round from your deck include the so-called “house birds” – house sparrows, house finches and house wrens as well as nuthatches, black-capped chickadees, pigeons, woodpeckers, American and lesser goldfinches, robins, doves, magpies and blue jays, among others. Juncos are more wintertime birds, while those gorgeous, almost magical hummingbirds are here generally from[...]
Time to Plant Sweet Berries and Fragrant Herbs
Berries and herbs tend to grow slowly, and because of our short growing season here, are best cultivated from starts, which are available now at garden centers, farmers markets, supermarkets and hardware stores. If you try to grow these from seed, well, it might be winter before you see anything! Keep in mind that container plants in general are considerably more exposed to the elements, (heat, cold, moisture and dryness) than plants in the ground. In Colorado it’s advisable to go with plastic pots which won’t evaporate water as quickly than the porous earthen terra cotta pots. (That being said, there’s good news for diehard terra cotta lovers – Sturtz & Copeland in Boulder, 303-442-6663, is now carrying a line of waterproof German terra cotta that will work just as well as plastic.) Herbs Herbs in general can tolerate our hot and dry Colorado summers and because of that are great for beginning gardeners. Thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil and lavender are ideally planted outside in mid-May after the last frost. These herbs (with the exception of basil)[...]
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