On a warm day in early June, a gentle breeze rustled ornamental grass, iris and aspens in front of homes on a quiet little street in the quiet little town of Niwot.
With one exception. Around the home of Marni Ratzel and Kevin Richards, all that rustled in that breeze was bindweed, thistle and a handful of trees so brown and bent, they appeared to be ready to call it quits.
The couple moved into the house nearly three years ago, and while the inside was colorful and cozy, the yard was a bit desperate for attention.
Which it got when it was chosen from thousands of landscapes to earn a top spot on the DIY Network’s “America’s Most Desperate Landscapes.”
Documentation of the transformation of their lawn from limp to luscious will air at 8 p.m. Wednesday on DIY in an hour-long special.
“It was a Herculean effort,” says Jason Cameron, host of the show. “I’ve done nearly 100 of these, and this was one of my very favorites.”
The star, who grew up in Michigan, enjoyed the small-town feel of Niwot, and the friends and neighbors who came to help with the project over the two-day process.
“I grew up in a town like this. What I enjoy most about my job is the people I meet,” he says. “I mean, I’ve done everything from carpentry to landscaping, and the work is great, but what’s best is when you get to know people like Marni and Kevin. You want people who are lively and interesting, cause that makes for better TV. They were great, and their children were so adorable.”
Children, Richards says, that he’ll have more time for now.
“I work with a lot of contractors, and I can tell you, it’s amazing how much they got done in two days,” says Richards, who owns a painting and home-repair company. The house, he says, was not in great shape when they bought it. While they tackled the inside, the landscape still suffered as the couple were busy raising two young boys.
“This would have taken me forever to do,” he says. “I’m just so thankful. They were so organized and professional.”
After a two-day makeover, before and after photos of the house, which was featured on the “Today Show” Monday, show a stunning change.
Cameron points out the essentials. Replaced: the driveway, roof front door and garage door. Added: A wooden fence, xeric landscaping, patio furniture and a water feature.
“That water feature is probably my favorite part of this,” Cameron says, adding that he and his team used Colorado materials purchased from local nurseries. “That feature is really something their children will enjoy.”
Their wish list, Ratzel says, was pretty simple.
“They asked what our vision was, and we said we wanted a fence and a water feature for the kids,” says Ratzel, hugging her toddler. “We also asked for xeric plants and a yard so the kids could play outside. It’s amazing what they did. We have a walkway now, so it feels as if we can just welcome people here.”
Friends who are welcomed will no longer be greeted by weeds and tilting trees. The property was leveled, and old trees and weeds were replaced by healthy aspens, a dwarf scotch pine, lilac bushes, ornamental grass and sturdy plants like Russian sage, salvia and blue-mist spirea.
“I so appreciate everyone, from the people at DIY to our friends who volunteered,” Ratzel says. “It felt like a barn-raising.
“They sacrificed their time, effort and their backs. All our neighbors said, ‘Sure, we’ll help.’ It made us feel very blessed and loved.”
