The backyard now has the elegance of Tuscany, such as a contemplation garden, an outdoor living space, kitchen and a pool with infinity edges that provide a lake-like feel.

Before: Safety Hazard A too-small deck that's literally falling apart and failed, overgrown lot stuffed with leftover building materials make this garden the family's least favourite subject of the house.

Following: Family-Friendly Getaway A sprawling 2-level cedar deck and brick patio anchored by an outdoor fireplace and pergola provide ample area for alfresco dining and relaxing with friends or loved ones. To soften all of the hardscape, Chris Lambton and crew pushed back the wooded area to generate space for a sinuous mattress filled with perennials for year-round appeal and blooming annuals for color.

Before: Covered in Dirt This garden is a dirty deal so far as your family is worried. The homeowner has three children which range from toddler to teenager and desires her yard to accomodate all of them.

After: Kid-Friendly Retreat Landscape designer Scott Cohen transforms the area with a quarry-themed swimming pool that comes with a 52-foot-long slide and a bar. Other features include an outdoor kitchen, a hopscotch court and play area.

Before: Overgrown and Unused These young homeowners love the outside and have a huge backyard but are at a loss regarding how to look after it. Woodpiles, that have attracted snakes, litter the property and the small vegetable garden they tried was soon eaten by rabbits.

Following: Beachy-Keen Backyard Chris Lambton and team clear the property then create designated zones for dining mounting tv on wall service . gardening, collecting around a sandy firepit and even an enclosed outdoor shower. To provide shade, a vintage ship's sail covers the door to the home whereas a purple leaf plum tree, chosen because of its vibrant leaves and short stature, is implanted inside the deck. Beachy Elijah blue fescue and other ornamental blossoms unite with sun-loving celosia, butterfly bushes and sunflowers to fill the lawn with color.

Before: Barren Lot The homeowners' dream is to bring the romance of Tuscany to their garden, therefore landscape designer Scott Cohen intends to make an old-world exterior living room with much-needed contemporary details.

Following: Tuscan Opulence The backyard now has the elegance of Tuscany, such as a contemplation garden, an outdoor living space, kitchen and a pool with infinity edges that provide a lake-like feel.

Before: No Lawn at All This Cape Cod backyard, filled with wood chips and stains of poison ivy, is completely unused by the homeowners -- even the family's pet won't stray far in the deck since the splintery wood chips hurt his toes.

After: Inviting and Lush After removing the poison ivy and ill-conceived wood chips, then the team expand the existing deck topping it with an L-shaped bar. A wide paver patio boasts a dining table for six at one end and a shady pergola at the opposite. Professional landscaper Chris Lambton adds life to the backyard with fountaingrass, late-blooming lilacs, spirea and sudden pops of color with ornamental peppers, asparagus and lettuces.

Before: Uninspiring Pool Area These homeowners have a bland and poorly designed backyard. They desire their new outdoor space to reflect their love of Cabo San Lucas.

Following: Cabo-Inspired Landscape The resort-like backyard includes outdoor beds in light-colored fabrics with rich vibrant curtains hung on the wooden canopies enclosing the pool. The pool area is upgraded with copper bowls home flame, and the kitchen has everything required for a celebration, including a grill and bar. The view at night is spectacular with all the outside lighting illuminating the trees and plants.

Before: Empty Land The homeowner wants to change her lush backyard into an outdoor area where she can spend time relaxing and entertaining friends.

After: Outdoor Entertaining Space A pergola is designed using a fireplace, wood flooring and seating that is slightly raised from the rear gardens. This gorgeous outdoor room is ideal for enjoying dishes, lounging or sharing birthday cake. To make life easier, artificial turf is set up; the contemporary grass looks genuine, but the upkeep is almost zero. A pool, spa and top-of-the line barbeque round out the recently landscaped yard.

Before: Utterly Incomplete This garden lacks the amenities which the homeowners want to wow their guests. They also want the space for entertaining, as well as an outside kitchen and dining room.

Following: Yard With a View Designers Rick and Tania King wish to take advantage of the lawn, so they design a very long fireplace to frame the perspective. Since viewing weekend sports games is a must, an outdoor living area includes plasma TVs, surround sound and comfy sofas.

Before: Brand New Landscape The new house is beautiful, however, the garden is still empty. The homeowners are expecting that landscape designer Scott Cohen can incorporate a few of their favorite elements from Spain into the plan.

After: Elegant Spanish Pavillion Cohen generates an over-the-top back living space, complete with plasma screen TVs, perimeter-overflow spa and an outside bathroom with shower. A swim-up pub under the Spanish-inspired pavillion is ideal for entertaining.

Ahead: Dead Space The homeowners need to upgrade the backyard for their parents to include a basketball court and half-pipe skateboard ramp, but the parents also need their own private spaces.

Following: Extreme Sports Bleacher seating, a built-in barbeque and a peaceful waterfall make this backyard, combined with the garage-turned-media-room, the perfect location for entertaining.