Prairie-Themed Backyard

Before: This split-level yard is currently overgrown and awkward so it's not very enjoyable and doesn't function well for the homeowners' needs. They would love a yard that's comfortable for them and also safe for their children to play.

After: Large posts wrapped in rope, wooden furniture, a cast iron stove and handmade enamelware combine to pull together the seating area with a down-home feel, while a miniature little log cabin will inspire hours of creative play for the kids.

Shirley Bovshow's plan calls for three separate areas. An adult space with comfortable seating and accessories in keeping with the prairie theme, interactive gardens and paths (similar to horse trails) for strolling using decomposed granite and boulders and a miniature log cabin for the perfect playhouse for the kids.

Cedar fence posts bolted together make a great hitching post. Russian sage, Echinacea, fountain grass, an old wagon wheel and rope make the area complete.

Create the same speckled effect found on prairie-style enamel cookware on fun garden accents. After spraying the pieces with primer and paint, tap a paintbrush with water-based enamel paint on it against a ruler's edge so the paint hits the surface in small drops.

After a light whitewash on the siding and painting the shutters red, this miniature log cabin is designed like a cowboy bunkhouse for the boys of the family. Oversized bandanas become curtains, small bales of straw and an upside down lightweight barrel offer pint-sized seating plus a small saddle on top of a sawhorse all set the perfect stage for play days on the open range.

An unusual and charming planter is made using a real horse feeder. Coco fiber liner helps hold the potted plants in place and it's put next to the fence for a quirky accent.