The front porch as the house was built was somewhat closed, uninviting and unimaginative.

I had a new concrete step poured with matching brickwork. It makes a more welcoming entryway and space for more container gardens. My kids and I traditionally have a campfire here on Halloween and hand out candy to trick-or-treaters.

My front walk is much more open with the removal of a large shrub and the addition of an overflow fountain. Find instructions to build your own overflow fountain on the How-To page.

The original back yard had two evergreen trees and lots of grass. I had two young children at the time, so a play area that would be safe and fun for kids and adults was high priority.

My husband and I added a large gravel play area with a swing set, sandbox and benches. Lots of flowers make the area inviting for play groups and kids of all ages.

Now that the kids are grown, we took out the swing set and play house. In the spring, I set up these greenhouses to accommodate the growth of Patio Plants Unlimited.

My yard originally had nothing in the back corner but grass. The area felt very open to the neighbors and had no purpose. The shrubs in this picture are actually on the neighbor’s property.

With help, we added a flagstone patio area with a table and chairs as well as a swing. The added fence, trees and fountain make the area feel private from the neighbors and add to the enclosed garden feel.

After a few years, I decided I wanted comfy chairs instead of a table. We also added hidden outdoor speakers and a propane powered fire pit for summer garden parties.

My front yard featured lots of grass. Since this neighborhood doesn’t have curb-and-gutter, this meant that people parking on the street were often on top of the grass.

We removed a large part of the turf grass and added xeriscaping elements that take less water and are more resilient to car tires. Of course, I also planted more flowers and added a walkway leading directly to the back yard.

I removed a large Blue Spruce Ball that had overgrown its spot and was blocking the front path. In the space it left, I constructed this overflow fountain. See how this was built in the How To DIY Blog.

I created a landscape design for Carol and Roger’s front yard. The tree had died and the turf grass wasn’t really useful.

I showed Roger and Carol an option for installing stepped flower beds to save water and add landscape interest.

Today, Roger and Carol have added landscape rocks and mulch and have followed my planting plan to add flowers and shrubs to their front yard.