Yard with a Veggie Bed, Chicken Coop, and Fire Pit? You Bet.

When my then fiancée Brittany and I first saw the 1963 ranch that we now call home, you could barely see it from the street. A huge magnolia plus a tangled mess of overgrown shrubs and ivy completely covered it. The "For Sale" sign probably should have read, "Please Help Me!"

However, what the house lacked on the surface was more than made up for in potential. It had great bones, sat on a good-size lot with mature trees, and was in an ideal location. As newlyweds, we decided to take on the challenge of making this house our first home.

Essential to this tidy, productive garden are a formal design, gravel walkways, raised beds, and a fence to enclose it.

This backyard swing set made sense when the children were small, but as soon as they got older, the play set lost its purpose and was just taking up space.

The simplicity of this design is what’s so appealing about it. A new gravel surface, bordered with stone, fills the space where the swing set once stood, and four comfortable Adirondack chairs surround a rustic metal fire pit. On cool evenings, everyone enjoys gathering around a roaring fire.

Does this scene look familiar? Many homes have a basement door located near a corner in the back, that no one ever uses.

What an amazing transformation! The Scotts moved some large shrubs and then framed the lonely door with a deck and a vine-covered pergola. A daybed, hung from the pergola, is a pleasant place to relax on balmy days. An old nesting box stores garden supplies nearby. New windows tie together the inside and out.

This formerly neglected side yard now features a chicken coop, bunny hutch, and potting shed and bench.

If you want to know where your teens are, build them a tree house that creates just the right amount of privacy.

The Scotts love their chickens so much that they even made a sign to introduce each of them. 

Doug Scott holds his favorite hen, named Ginger.

Scott urges homeowners to consider how outdoor and indoor spaces interact—not only physically but also visually. Create views that focus on special features.

Read more tips from Scott at Redeem Your Ground.