I Hate My Yard

Jeff and Stacie have a million dollar view ? and a 20-dollar yard. It's all roots, rubble and a whole lotta dirt. With landscape designer Sara Bendrick's help, the homeowners are adding a huge slate patio, an easy to install outdoor kitchen, an elegant pergola, and plenty of greenery to turn the yard into a living space worthy of it's ocean view.

Since Nick and Janette moved into their home a year ago, they've completely avoided spending any time in their dirt and weed-filled back yard. Sara aims to change all that by turning the homeowner's barren backyard into the ultimate entertaining spot. Plans for the space include a gas fire pit, a sleek water feature, plus a kitchen and bar area loaded with the latest amenities.

Brian and Kimmie have a growing family, and growing disaster of a backyard. Landscape Designer Sara Bendrick focuses on making the space safe and fun for the whole family. Design plans include a planter wall for privacy, a grill and a bar area for entertaining, a fire pit, plus a playhouse and chalkboard wall for the kids.

Peter and Leah have a 1920's Craftsman home that they've endeavored to restore to its original architectural integrity. But their back yard is another story it lacks character and privacy, and is completely overrun with weeds. They're overwhelmed by the big blank slate, but Landscape Designer Sarah Bendrick comes up with a plan to extend the architecture of the home into the back yard. A Craftsman-inspired outdoor entertaining area will feature a garden table and vinyl stained glass windows. New fencing and trees will wrap the yard to provide privacy, and the rest of the space will be filled with a drought-resistant plant palette. Finally, a bridge over a dry creek bed will lead to a play area complete with a swing and slide for Peter and Leah's son.

Rhoyge and Priscilla have a disjointed back yard that makes it difficult for their whole family to hang out together. To combat that, Sara decides to move their dining and grilling area closer to the pool. She takes advantage of a giant slope and builds a waterfall that cascades down into a pond. A deck featuring a fire pit and an in ground trampoline completes this family-friendly transformation.

Keisha's back yard has exactly one asset a pool. But around it lies crumbling concrete, towering weeds and a pergola on the verge of collapse. Sara starts the makeover by repairing the concrete with an overlay, and upgrading the pergola with stone-clad posts. She adds a raised vegetable bed and fills the yard with Tuscan-inspired plants and features, including a stone fountain.

Arati and Matia's backyard is currently a rock hard dirt patch that has nothing in it but one lonely tree. Sara builds multiple interconnected entertaining zones including an outdoor theater, a large seating area surrounding a fire pit, a dining area, and a giant word game made from patio pavers.

Single dad Ray has his hands full raising his two daughters. There's little time left to tend to his neglected backyard. Landscape Designer Sara Bendrick helps him turn the space into an Asian inspired oasis complete with a meditation deck, reflection pond and pergola-covered living area.

Michel and Rebecca's backyard is a dangerous mess, full of concrete and debris that render it completely unusable for their two young children. Fortunately, landscape designer Sara Bendrick is on the case, ready to transform this chaos into a peaceful, European-style country garden. With Michel and Rebecca's help, she creates an elegant patio dining area, elevated outdoor workspaces, and a fun play area for the kids, complete with a swing set.

The close-knit Martinez family loves to gather with their extended family, but their backyard has been left in disarray and no one wants to spend time back there. So sisters Melissa & Illiana are taking on the task of making over their parent's yard with help from Landscape Designer Sara Bendrick. Plans call for a Spanish-inspired dining area complete with a rustic pergola and Saltillo tile floor, a large fireplace with built-in seating, a relaxing water feature, and desert-style landscaping.

Danielle & Eddie have a back yard that's overrun with a mess of potted plants & plenty of grass ? which Danielle is unfortunately allergic to! Landscape Designer Sara Bendrick helps them create a grass-free landscape anchored by a small stream and fountain in the center of their yard. Other features include an outdoor lounge, dining area, and custom-built raised hexagonal planters.

Kevin & Sara are musicians who love to entertain in their backyard. Unfortunately, their current space is run down, overgrown and cut off smack in the middle by a giant tree and a basketball hoop they don't even use. Landscape Designer Sara Bendrick decides to wipe the slate clean and remove it all, including the tree, which she chops up into discs to reuse in a patio. Other features include a concrete-topped bar, a dining area, a deluxe chicken coop, and a multi-purpose stage/lounge area.

Chris & Kimberly love their Spanish style home, but the back yard just isn't cutting it. They need a space that they can relax in that also includes a play area for their son, Eli. Landscape Designer Sara Bendrick's plan includes a lounging area complete with a fireplace, a shade structure that features retractable sails, and play structure that sits a top removable rubber flooring.