After years of fighting the deer and other animals that regularly raided their vegetable garden, Craig and Nicole Whitten, owners of Whitten Landscaping in South Yarmouth, decided to give up on vegetables and put a pool in their backyard.

When a couple turns to Shoreline Pools for a new pool, they get more than they bargained for, and that' a good thing. Not only did the pool get a new liner and filtration system, but the surrounding backyard was turned into a sanctuary for entertaining friends and family.

New Englanders certainly appreciate the arrival of warm weather months after the long, cold winter season, which leaves many of us craving sunlight and the exquisite freshness of the outdoors. Spending time in beautiful, natural environments restores us.

A waterfront home goes from feeling dark and dated to open and airy in just five months.

A broken hot tub leads to a couple completely rethinking their outdoor space.

Small outdoor spaces don't have to lead to small ideas. With a bit of ingenuity and an eye toward functionality, anyone can turn a uninspiring, lifeless outdoor space into a year-round haven for entertaining, meditation or just, plain relaxing. It's not the size of the space that counts; it's the imagination and inspiration of the homeowner and contractor.

A sense of time and history surrounds the Mayo-Hammett house in South Orleans. The full Cape, most likely built in the 1830s, had weathered through many New England winters and was in a state of decay. In 2004, Ivan and Julie Humphreys bought the house and decided to restore the property, transforming the ailing structure into a place where they could spend retirement together.

When a family tackles a complete home renovation, they opt to create the perfect outdoor space at the same time.

That's all it took for Joyce Landscaping and the DIY Network to recreate a Chatham backyard

Most backyards in Provincetown are quite small, but that doesn't mean you can't maximize the space to create a mini-oasis as this homeowner did. Even the transition space was carefully thought out.

The key to any successful landscaping job is a combination of a homeowner who knows what he wants, a landscaper who's willing to be flexible and subcontractors who work well together.