Optimize with Jacqueline

The very first project my husband and I tackled after buying our first home was dog-proofing the backyard—and making it California drought-resistant. It was definitely a “rip it all out and start fresh” kind of job. Our yard was overrun with tangled bushes (hello, black widows 😱), and it just wasn’t a safe or functional space for us or our dog.

We tore everything out and installed weed barrier and decorative rocks for the first time ever. After that, we eventually updated the rest of the backyard, the side yards, and even the front yard. It was a huge learning experience—and honestly, it held up surprisingly well over the last 3 years.

But after a super rainy season, a small jungle of weeds started pushing through. We also realized that our original rock placement was a little uneven (okay, a lot uneven). So we decided to rip everything out again and redo it the right way—this time with better prep and better video skills! 💪

We moved all the rocks, leveled the ground, sprayed for weeds, laid down new weed barrier, and reinstalled the rocks with even spacing. Oh—and I filmed the whole thing in timelapse. Three hours of landscaping work condensed into just 3.5 minutes. I love watching projects like this in timelapse mode—it’s so satisfying. 🎥

Fun fact: One of our besties (who happens to be an insanely talented florist) gifted us a big aloe vera plant during the original makeover. I ended up propagating it into three additional planters, and they’re thriving. Aloe is not only beautiful and low maintenance, but it’s also free if you know how to multiply it! I’m even planning to 3D print a custom vase and gift a propagated piece to a coworker who just moved into their own place. 🌱🪴

Check out the full timelapse here:

Let me know what you think in the comments—and if you’ve ever tackled a yard project like this, I’d love to hear what worked (and didn’t) for you!