Are you a foodie who craves the taste of a just-off-the-vine cherry tomato? Or maybe you’re thinking about growing your own veggies to slash your grocery tab during these penny-pinching times? Oregon Home asked a longtime victory gardener, two landscape designers and a professional backyard farmer to detail how you can transform a typical backyard into your own private farmer’s market.

Got a water-waster on your street who overwaters his lawn (and driveway) so frequently that neighbors have dubbed him Old Faithful? Thinking about busting up your concrete driveway for something a little more eco-friendly? Oregon Home asked landscape architects and native garden designers about turning a manicured lawn into a more natural place.

Tired of the patch of sod next to that helicab landing concrete square of a patio that rates as your backyard? Before you schlep home new plants from your favorite nursery, do a bit of planning. Oregon Home talked with a garden designer, a landscape architect, two landscapers and a water feature designer to get to the root of what makes for a backyard makeover success.