Going Yard — Season 1

In Cape Cod, Chris and his team battle the rain as they build the Oliveiras a backyard entertainment space that's fun for the whole family. Chris' design calls for a custom playground with a tunnel, an outdoor fireplace with a matching brick patio, and a giant two level deck with a built in planter box. To celebrate, the Oliveiras host a surprise birthday party.

Carmen and Eddie Machado love to go camping and spend time outside with their three boys. Carmen wants an English garden and they all want to grow their own vegetables. Chris takes on a blank canvas when he builds them an edible English Garden that also includes a fire pit, a play structure and lots of grass for impromptu backyard camping sleepovers. And best of all, a composter with lots of worms!

The Esparza's love French Country design but right now their yard is little more than a concrete slab, a dilapidated patio cover and a few patches of grass. Chris builds a casual yet classy new backyard by introducing formal sod circles, a magestic water feature, a relaxing hammock, a custom painted patio and more. The family celebrates with a long-awaited house warming party.

El and Sharon Sanders have a cluttered backyard that is overgrown with weeds and full of unsightly storage bins. Chris has to demo a deteriorating carport, concrete and fencing before he can build a modern low-profile deck with built-in storage, a relaxation space with a fountain and low maintenance plantings.

Chris and his team are asked to turn a backyard filled with children's toys into a sophisticated outdoor space with a focal point that will draw visitors into the yard. Hillary, James and their 9-year-old daughter, Kate are desperate for a backyard upgrade. Kate has outgrown her playset and playhouse and wants a more grownup space where she can spend time with her mom. Her parents love to entertain and want a backyard renovation that will make better use of their large yard, while also being a beautiful complement to their traditional design aesthetic. Chris demonstrates how to create more usable space in a yrd by building hardscape structures. The finished design includes an arbor with extra seating, a stone patio and a tea room tucked under a tree, where Kate and her mother plan to have their own parties.

Matt and Zena Welker love to host parties and play yard games, but their backyard has been taken over by their two dogs. Chris builds them a yard that's fit to entertain both people and pets with a design that includes a shady new deck with a custom tiki bar, a hot tub, and a personal dog park for Monkey and Rufus. Friends, neighbors and their dogs all arrive to christen the new space for the reveals.

The Morgan family needs a backyard where the children can play, the adults can relax, and everyone can form lasting family memories. Chris thinks outside the box to transform the family's forgettable backyard into a unique space with plenty of comfy seating, a lounge area with a hammock and stretches of grass for playing. But the unexpected element that thrills the homeowners is an outdoor movie theater where the entire family can gather and create lasting memories. Chris shows how to effectively plan outdoor spaces that will incorporate multiple uses and unexpected surprises.

Chris and his landscaping team tackle a shabby backyard that's currently useable by just one rowdy dog. When homeowners Derek and Nicole discover they are pregnant with their second child, they both realize they'll need more livable space once the baby comes. Hearing about their love of camping and the outdoors, Chris designs this growing family a unique, rustic backyard, complete with all the comforts of home to ensure the outdoors is just as useable as the indoors.

Julie and John are proud owners of a 100-year-old Craftsman bungalow with one big problem: its grassy backyard lacks the charm and character of their home. The couple ask Chris to create a backyard that incorporates their eclectic taste and their 5-year-old son's need for outdoor space, while preserving the integrity of the Craftsman style. Chris' design includes a new deck with columns that perfectly match those on the home's front porch. When the homeowners ask for a roof, Chris cleverly creates a see-through roof that lets in light while protecting the deck from the elements. A concrete water feature with lily pads and koi is an unexpected surprise off the deck. And the feature everyone will remember is the vintage bike fence that blocks unsightly views while keeping the couple's antique bike collection ready to ride. Chris and his team finish the transformation just in time for the couple's celebration of the home's 100th year, one in which the new backyard is as charming and interesting as the home itself.

Chris faces one of his toughest challenges yet as he transforms an unsightly, neglected backyard into a Mid-Century Modern retreat with Mondrian influences. Homeowners Ryan and Timm have been so embarrassed by their yard that they haven't invited anyone over in the six months they have lived in their house. They ask Chris to remove a broken hot tub and transform the space. Chris and his crew encounter numerous challenges as they get the yard into shape, including buried bricks and roots, which threaten the budget. The finished backyard includes raised planting beds, a mini-orchard, a firepit, outdoor Mondrian-inspired kitchen, and a custom table for 14.

Chris creates an architectural, modern backyard for Michael, Melissa and their two young children. The couple bought a fixer-upper they've decorated with a modern feel and are at a loss about creating a yard that reflects their clean-lined aesthetic. Chris and his team use a black and white color scheme to create a stunning modern retreat. For adults, they build a focal point of a custom raised deck that seems to float over the yard, and a cozy black and white lounge for cocktail hour. A hand-crafted modern playhouse, see saws and trike-riding paths will keep the young ones occupied while the adults socialize nearby. Each element of the backyard reinforces the straight lines of modern design, making a cohesive, inviting backyard.

Chris and his team create a new backyard for a young family who embrace modern architecture. The couple have created their own beautiful backyard studio office, but the rest of the yard is embarrassingly unkempt and useless. Chris creates a stream-lined deck, raised vegetable garden, clever horizontal privacy fence with a sitting area, and an innovative playground for their daughter.

An active family with teenaged boys and a young daughter have a huge lot that looks more like an abandoned field than their own yard. They ask Chris and his team to create a backyard that fits their active lifestyle, yet is easy to maintain. Chris transforms the yard into a sports complex for the children. He creates a croquet lawn and batting cage for the boys, a koi pond with lilies for the daughter and and outdoor eating area for the entire family. And once the kids are tired of playing, there is a giant fire pit with seating where everyone can relax and roast marshmallows. A wildflower bed and other natural plantings ensure the family will have a beautiful, useful space that requires little upkeep.

Chris and Peyton recently married in an intimate ceremony on the beach in another state. Now back home in Cape Cod, they want to host a reception for friends and family who were unable to attend the wedding. But Chris' yard is much like the cobbler's children going without shoes-- even though he's a landscaper, his own yard is unkempt and overgrown. Plus, the limited seating and dining space prevents the couple from hosting family dinners. Chris recruits his brothers and friends, who are part of his landscaping crew, for the makeover. They create an extended stone patio with a charming cedar pergola. A new fire pit is framed by a nearby arbor. And the crew builds a custom table that will seat at least a dozen next to a new kitchen garden in raised planting beds. Within a week, the neglected backyard is transformed into a beautifully designed, functional space that will be perfect for the newlyweds to entertain in for years to come.