Outdoor Plants & Spaces Before & After

Paula Bishir-Jensen made her gazebo safer and so much more sophisticated.

A DIYer built her own pergola to get the oasis of her dreams.

It took five different paint colors and $300.

Fresh paint brought out the best in this charming old house.

Sweat equity and a little creativity go a long way in transforming this dreary space into a must-see hangout.

This family's yard redo offers multiple hangout spots that help them take full advantage of their outdoor space.

Paint rescued the front door AND the concrete steps in this budget-friendly refresh for fall.

The "before" was the perfect blank canvas.

I am gearing up to finish a few garden projects….one of which is a deck that we dug the footings for last fall. I have gone back and forth on the way to finish the deck. Do I do pressure treated wood that I stain (cheap), or do I invest in a hardwood that will be less maintenance (expensive)?I have obsessed so much that I even had an architect friend write a whole article about the pros and cons of all the decking options.

Are you tired of it getting dark at 5 PM every day? I know I am, but we’re in luck: this year’s Winter Solstice fell on December 21st, which means that the days are getting longer, and that summer will come again, and that this is a perfect time to start thinking about sunny days and outdoor projects. Here are 10 of our favorite outdoor-space transformations from 2012.TOP ROW:1. Before & After: Bare Patio Turned Luxurious Cabana2. Jane and Justin’s Backyard Before & After3.

This 1957 ranch's warped garage looks way more sophisticated after a major upgrade.

This outdoor space went from a dead patch of grass to a cozy boho-style family hangout.

This bummer space got a beautiful new look.

Some clever additions make this standard-issue balcony feel like a custom cozy retreat.

"The whole setup with the repotting of the plants took me less than three hours," this renter says.

This balcony is small but mighty.

Renters and owners with small balconies: This one's for you! "I feel like I am escaping the city and have a relaxing space away from the hustle down below," this DIYer says of her redo.

A quick but ambitious DIY project took this front door from cookie cutter to contemporary.

This transformation gives the house a fresh update without losing all its retro charm.

This chic shed will make you want to start gardening immediately.

This 1910 door had been painted over plenty of times, but stripping it down and repainting it in a fresh color gave it a completely new life.

The "old, creaky, and slanting" deck was causing major problems before.

You've got to see the refurbished outdoor tub.

One item you should always add to your secondhand shopping list? Wicker baskets. You never know what kind of cute accessories you can make with them.

This Miami backyard is a masterclass in landscape design

No space is too small to enjoy al fresco dining, sipping, reading, or relaxing.

A pro painter completed this project for his own home, and he's got tips to share.

Ali Wong give her best friend's backyard a makeover with the help of the Property Brothers.

"I have always dreamt about having a beautiful backyard that feels like an oasis," this DIYer says. See how she made it happen.

"It had never been landscaped previously," this homeowner says of her overgrown backyard. Now, it's well-manicured with great spots for entertaining.

It's not too soon to start thinking about your outdoor plans this spring, and this is just the project to inspire you.

Winter blues got you dreaming of warmer days? Get inspired by this patio redo.

"It changed the look of our backyard completely," this DIYer says of her shed facelift.

The new paint color honors the original house while also making it feel modern.

Small DIY changes went a really long way in making this 1977 house look totally fresh.

It all started with terracotta checkerboard pavers!

Wait until you see the electric pergola.

For less than $100!

There's a lot of potential in this pile of dirt.

I’ve been in love with galvanized stock tank gardens for a long time and posted a roundup of my favorites last summer. Finally, I’ve gotten the chance to exercise my green thumb and take the first, small step to adding a little style to the exterior of my home.After nearly a year of renovations to the interior of my home, I’ve finally had the chance to start adding a little curb appeal.

During the last year, we focused mainly on fixing up the inside of our house. But 2011 is all about the outside, and we got to work before the holidays so we could eat out of our first food-producing garden come early spring. So far, so good. Take a look!We’re grateful that we have a lot of real estate to work with. Our first raised bed (the one pictured here) is four feet wide, eight feet long, and a foot and a half deep. It needed a cubic yard of dirt to fill it up!

It’s been raining buckets throughout much of the Midwest for the better part of the weekend and it seems as though my galoshes have never seen so much use! Although I’ve previously mentioned using a baking sheet as a quick boot tray, check out this DIY that all started as a scrap pile of used fence posts!

Since moving back to our rented home we’ve been slowly rebuilding the gardens around the house. Working with what we have and focusing on the growing-not-mowing philosophy, we turned the space near our front door in to a useable garden space for less than $20.Until recently the space was only used to access the hot water system.

During the cold days of winter, I like to mentally fast forward to the lazy lounging days of summertime. So even though warm weather has just arrived, I’ve already been spending quite a bit of time thinking about outdoor spaces…This little courtyard before and after from Michelle over at Three Men and a Lady is just the thing to inspire me.

Corey in Seattle shared his before & after backyard project with us. Jump below to see what it looks like “after” all of the hard work:Corey says: My wife and I live in Seattle, WA. We finished our backyard studio garage 2 years ago and just finished the deck last fall. The plants are starting to come in nicely now, and we can’t wait to enjoy the yard this summer and entertain friends and family. Thanks for sharing, Corey!(Re-edited from a post originally published 06.24.

This garden in southern California, was designed by Shirley Bovshow for a client with a small budget (at lease for the size of the work needed). So, the initial vision for beautiful gazebos and country elegance with all the bells and whistles was ultimately fulfilled with budget friendly versions.

Just about this time last summer I somewhat sheepishly shared our back deck and the modest makeover cover-up that I attempted to pull off with $150 and a can of paint. This year, we’ve poured a bit more thought, time, and money into the space, and it has totally transformed our summer!As I explained in last year’s post, we have the world’s narrowest deck attached to possibly the world ugliest addition.

As the summer heats up, I thought I would try to inspire you to head outside and get your hands dirty with some inspirational and aspirational garden ‘before and after’ projects.The first is landscape designer Andrew Grossman’s garden. He shares the progress of his garden at his blog titled ‘A Year in My Garden’ — even though he admits that this garden was fully 12 years in the making.