It’s nice to see how a celebrity making a big comeback, despite her busy schedule, takes the time to give to someone who has done a lot for her. property brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott boldly jump in to help Celebrity IOU make it happen.
In the episode “Kate Hudson’s Backyard Build,” Hudson wants to help renovate Kate’s backyard Melissaher fiancé’s mother, Danny Fujikawa.
Melissa is a governess who spends a lot of time looking after Hudson and Fujikawa’s daughter and Hudson’s other two sons. But Melissa broke both her ankles earlier this year and hasn’t been able to tend to her garden as usual.
She needs a backyard where the kids can play and make art safely, and she can get around more easily. She always dreamed of a garden like in the south of France.
The property brothers are more than willing to help Hudson give Melissa the backyard she’s always dreamed of, and they’re able to work miracles in just six weeks. Here’s what they do and some clever tips that might inspire some changes in your own home, too.
Stabilizers prevent gravel from wandering
Stepping stones and stabilized gravel
(HGTV)
Gravel is a great drought-tolerant ground cover, but when people walk over it it can tend to slide around. But the property brothers have a solution: they place a trellis under the gravel that helps grab the gravel and hold it in place.
“We have stabilizers for rocks so your rocks don’t bang around like that,” says Jonathan. “It actually holds them nice and tight.”
Hudson also selects new gravel made from tiny, smooth river rock that’s easy on little ones’ bare feet. It’s a small detail that offers a lot of comfort.
Ugly wires are huge eyesores
Note the electrical cables attached to the roof that run down the house through a pole in front of the kitchen window.
(HGTV)
The cables connecting the house to the city power lines are connected to the roof and then run through the house just outside a window. They look ugly on the outside of the house and even uglier on the inside.
“We’re moving the house’s electrical hookup from outside the kitchen window to the side of the house where it belongs,” says Jonathan. “That way nobody has to look at ugly wires coming into the house from the power lines.”
What a difference!
House free of visible power lines
(HGTV)
make steps safer
Safer steps made from railway sleepers
(HGTV)
The backyard is on three levels and there are about three steps leading from one to the next. The steps are brittle and poorly defined.
“One of the biggest concerns we had about this backyard was how uneven the ground and steps were, especially since Melissa recovered from two broken ankles,” says Jonathan.
“To create three nice, safe levels, we want to renovate the retaining walls and we only use railroad ties,” he continues. “It’s going to be a nice, earthy, organic way to achieve the effect we want.”
When it’s finished, Drew is happy with the results.
“The unique, tiered backyard has gone from dangerous to textured,” he says.
Raised beds make gardening easier
Raised planter boxes
(HGTV)
Melissa loves a vegetable and herb garden, but planting everything in the ground can get a little unwieldy. But Jonathan has the perfect solution.
“Raised planting beds take the strain off your back and legs,” he says.
“She’s going to have raised beds with a lot of variety,” adds Drew while deciding what to plant in the raised beds. “She wants to be able to make a salad, make a stew. Whatever she cooks, she wants to go out in the garden and get something fresh for it.”
The garden specialist advises him to mix in some flowers like marigolds for color and to attract bees to ensure pollination. He also advises mixing in oregano and dill, which give off a scent that keeps pests at bay.
Whatever is planted, Melissa won’t have to spend hours on her knees tending to it, and animals like rabbits and squirrels will have a hard time getting to it. Raised planters are a no-brainer!
Install a maintenance-free deck
Maintenance-free composite deck
(HGTV)
“How cool would it be for her to have a deck that she didn’t have to worry about repainting?” asks Jonathan. “If we do it in a composite material that looks like real wood but never needs maintenance? She will love it!”
As workers attach the deck to the back of the house, Jonathan explains, “Building a durable deck is always a priority, so we use composite materials instead of wood. It is very low maintenance, no sanding, no staining. You just have to jerk it off every once in a while.”
When you think of sanding and staining, regrinding and restaining, and replacing a wood deck after several years, a composite deck seems like a dream.
Do the Property Brothers deliver?
Finished backyard
(HGTV)
Finally, Melissa’s backyard features a fire pit, kitchen, and bocce ball court, as well as a patio, art studio, and raised beds.
“You nailed my aesthetic perfectly,” says Melissa upon seeing it. “This shipyard will enable the life I want to lead. I’m really overwhelmed.”