DIY is supposed to save you a buck… but if you know, you know—it can also be exhausting. In this video I’m doing a realistic spring reset of my rental backyard after some pretty intense (for Southern California) winter weather trashed four different zones. I walk through what held up from last year’s makeovers, what didn’t, and how small, affordable changes can bring everything right back to feeling curated and usable. First up is my sensory zen garden: I’m pulling weeds the old-fashioned way (PSA: please don’t use Roundup), topping up stones slowly over time, and rearranging the layout to fit a DIY pallet-wood bench for better flow. Then I tackle the breezeway “faux outdoor kitchen” + potting station—deep cleaning, pressure washing what I can, and leaning on the organization systems I set up earlier so it’s actually easy to maintain. I also add a pizza oven to expand how we cook outdoors. Finally, I reset my renter-friendly homestead garden beds by amending soil (hello perlite), replanting winter veggies and flowers, and sharing how I think about upkeep as a renter: design has to survive real life. Sometimes the goal isn’t a style moment—it’s maintenance, a clean slate, and making your outdoor space function like extra square footage.