What a creative use of a small space with many ideas that can translate to many situations plus is an example of using a professional for a plan and then completing it over time with DIY projects. Two of my favorites are the outdoor sink near the garden and coop and the use of tall but "see through" plants used to screen the vegetable garden. Thanks for sharing.

Inspiring space!

Last child in the woods is a great book - bravo for citing it as inspiration. Richard Louv is one of our California treasures .. .

So much to admire here. I'll be poring over these photos as I think about how best to use my small backyard as a space for food, friends, and family.

Thank you Hoi for the beautiful photography and story. So honored to be a part of the Houzz community!

Fabulous! The story and involvement of all family members is terrific. It's a great space.

My favorite "My Houzz" to date!

What a great place to grow up in- It's lovely to see how a family shapes a home and in turn how a home will help shape that family.

really nice home

Lovely family and hens, and the beehives are a great addition.

Looks like a fun family! We've tried to do the same things around our house, but haven't pulled it off in such a "cool" way. Kudos for inspiring others on Houzz with your homesteading ways :)

The yellow paint in the chicken coop that was inspired by the color of egg yolks was almost my favorite part of the article. But, I love how they added the coop, bee hives and the new sitting area. It all is so beautiful and inspirational. I wish I could see it "in person"!!!

Love the house, the family, their mission. But come on...Genghis ChiKhan?!?!....omg...still laughing!!! :)

Inspirational. We cannot wait to leave the UAE and start our edible garden in the Western Cape South Africa!

Just lovely! My favorite Houzz post of all time! What an excellent example of beautiful design merged with modern day homesteading. I really got a kick out of the chickens' names too!

I loved this whole article and the pictures. Good work to the owners. Thank you for the inspiration.

Beautiful family and fantastic yard. Congratulations!

very good job. I am sure its so enjoyable to design what you like.

"hire a contractor to put the curved concrete elements in place." HUH? It looks like a swimming pool!! And they HIRED it done!

What kind of succulent is that growing in the yard? It's gorgeous!

Appreciate parents that encourage their kids to get outside in nature and to learn homesteading skills instead of being plugged in all day. Great homestead!

The Gibson family: : ) : ) : ) : )

How inspiring! Beautiful job. And such a wonderful backyard farm!

Nice design - love the chicken coop!

What a great way to use valuable space! To grow food instead of grass and to raise bees that desperately need all the help they can get in an increasingly toxic environment. Wonderful way to teach your children about self sustainability.

Thank you so much for including the bee hive - not only great to have pollinators but a valuable lesson in humility - don't mess with them they won't mess with you - in fact, give them the little they need and they reward you with sweet honey. Lucky kids. We create reality so why not paradise and harmony?

This article sent me down the rabbit hole on a lazy Sunday morning. I absorbed every word and every picture, then, I took side trips to Aislin's Modern Hive Web site (gorgeous!!), then to Girlzwurk, then I sat contemplating my backyard and wondering how I could even reach a fraction of the beauty that the Gibsons created. Loved the article; loved the family; loved the design!!

Love everything!! The children are beautiful, the chickens are amazing (what can I say about the clever names!), and the home and garden are unique, inviting and warm. Thanks for sharing.

Money can buy anything, a family, a home, a garden and social status.....Being able to accomplish this on a shoe string budget is what I like to see.....

...this back yard has everything...chickens, garden, water fountain, and BEES...you are almost a self-contained family...the improvements to your back yard are priceless for your children. This experience with 'all things living' will be with them their entire lives...truly a beautiful retreat from the hustle and bustle...you out-did yourselves...

Love the Bee Fountain & surrounding area -- what plants are those little mounds planted around the fountain?

I love everything about this! Thank you so much for this article. I think my favorite part is their use of the "heirloom" redwood for the coop.

Everything is so beautiful. Love the coop and the garden. You are truly gifted.

Wow, I would so love to have someone to teach me to build big pavers, storage sheds, and such! And you get to have chickens and bees. I am envious, plus loving the gorgeous space!

It´s really inspiring

@farahfalani I think the succulents you are asking about are Agave attenuata.

What a truly awesome transformation ... greatly inspiring ... thank so much for sharing

Jason j - my experience is that people with a lot more money than they need are not the best clients and god knows you can't buy good taste, common sense or true friends. It would appear this family won the lottery of concerted effort and positive thinking - but you don't win, that you earn it - happily. Curved walls are the icing on the cake - considerably more expensive than straight but they did not compromise they invested in good design - my kind o people. I truly appreciate the intensity of design - more like an Italian villa than a typical too-much-grass, spread out, suburban lawnscape - maybe some day American cities will learn that lesson.

Nice use of space and healthier living by incorporating your little mini farm.

All parents should strive to be like these ones!

San Jose Eichlers, right around the bend from where I am. And these kids are adorable!!

Dear Houzz community, Our family is thankful for all of your thoughtful comments. I was a bit nervous about having our story posted, but your kind feedback has been both humbling and heartwarming. A couple of readers had questions about the plants: The succulents are Agave 'blue flame' and they are kid-resistant, soccer-ball resistant, and drought-tolerant. The little tufts under the bee pond are Irish Moss. They didn't survive our California drought so we're looking for a new plant. We've learned through trial and error (mostly error), so if you have any questions we can help you with, we'll try to answer them as best we can. And most of all, good luck on your design adventures! Warmly, Aislin

Nice planning love the story

Congratulations! This is beautiful example of using outdoor spaces for a connection to nature and family, one of the best I've seen.

We finished (well, maybe not, do you ever really finish?) our house almost three years ago and have probably used our pool less than a dozen times. It is leaking, needs a re-do, and has cost a fortune. I think we'll follow your lead and re-do it out of existence! Do you know what was used as fill? I have horrors of a huge grave-like space sinking in time in the center.

I love the chickens and bees and the creation of different "rooms" through the yard. Good work. Thank you for sharing your space!

nicolebsma - maybe you could line the pool and turn it into a natural pool/pond? I have a small pond (500 gal) that catches the water from my sump pump and I use it to water the garden a lot (no chemicals) of the time with a small submersible pump. No need to throw out the bathwater with the baby. The local fauna likes to use it to drink and bathe (at the overflow spot) in also. If you fill it you need to compact the fill.

What a thoughtful and beautiful backyard!!! All of the different ways they connect with nature is beyond inspiring. Amazing!

Way to make the most of your backyard! Love the many options for activity and relaxation. Great to teach your kids about plant life and raising/respecting animals. Very soulful.

Absolutely fabulous design and family. Such an inspiration! I am taking notes for when we tackle our landscaping some day. It's difficult to plan out a yard renovation/design, especially with young children in mind, but this story shows how a vision can come together so thoughtfully. Brava!

I opened my weekly email from houzz and what do I find?! The faces of your warm and lovely family (outside of our school community)! What a treat. :-) Your home (like your family) is beautiful! Xx

What a beautiful family & garden space.

Love it! Absolutely inspiring to me! Thanks for sharing.

lovely and wise...thank you

Love this, and right in our neighborhood! What program are you using for the bees? We are looking into doing that as well! Thanks for the inspiration!

@c4carlene Deb Conway from GirlzWurk Honey and Bee Rescue. The best way to get a hold of her is debuwant@earthlink.net or call her cell 408.373.0454. Like adopting a rescue dog or cat, she assesses whether the home is a good fit for the family and for the bees' health and then you go from there. Good luck, it would be great to have more foster homes for our urban bee population!

This is so inspiring! Thank you

Aislin and Tim, Your project is jaw-dropping and gorgeous, not just aesthetically, but for instilling in your kids what is missing from the lives of most American(and Canadian) kids growing up in this fast paced computer aged world. I grew up in Minnesota and half of our one acre yard was a garden for food! As kids, we planted, watered, weeded, picked, peeled, shucked, tilled, etc, you name it! Now, I live in the Greater Toronto Area in Canada and dream every day about acquiring a space for gardens, chickens, even lamb! Thanks for sharing your inspiring story and for giving me the nudge to keep dreaming(and looking for that land)! I have a Turkish husband who is a chicken expert since childhood too, so I have a built in teacher for that! Bravo to you all, it is the best Houzz story I have ever seen! Rita

Lov the info about the Bees.....sure wish re-homing bees was something that was doable in Texas. All we ever see here is Wasp ....a lot of wasp....Its rare to see a honey bee in East Texas. We have 8 chickens, a peach tree, a lemon tree, a pear tree, a fig tree, blackberry vines.....every spring/summer we fight the elements, rabbits, squirrels, rats to keep a garden....They all won this year....ate every tomato, peach, peppers, strawberries, melons, squash that came up out of the earth. I miss CA weather and how good it is grow anything there.

Love what they did! It won't happen at my house. Why? One word: work!

Dear Gibson Family,

I'm so impressed with the way you live, the choices you've made, and the space you created. It's truly inspiring. If we all lived the way you do, the world would be a much better place. Thank you for your work and thank you Houzz for giving us a small window into their lives.

sharej- Sorry to hear about your lack of bees. There are lots of bees in North Texas where I live. I wonder why there are so few where you live?

What a lovely story, great lessons for the whole family.

Just loved the video! I love the way you are raising your children to live in an urban AND rural environment! We live in Venice (CA), have a drought resistant garden that my husband 'tends', but your video makes me feel like going out, getting a couple of hens, and building a chicken coop! Thank you for the beautiful inspiration!

Very thoughtful outdoor space! One question-- the article says that you & your husband installed the pavers in your patio. Were they formed & filled with concrete or were the purchased pre-caste? If so, where?

Love this!

Thanks to Houzz and the Gibsons for sharing. I hope others are inspired to do something similar.

What an incredible video of this family and their garden - Delightful! I love everything about it!

I don't think most suburban neighborhoods allow chickens..at least ones with HOA's, but they do allow barking dogs and cats who make their mess in neighbors' yards, so I don't get that 'no chickens' rule..even cities don't allow it I don't think in certain areas.

What an awesome space.......and so practical compared to just having a swimming pool. We designed our garden space in the same manner and have an abundance of vegetables and fruits to enjoy as well as a yard to relax in. We've yet to add the chickens but want to. It's great for kids to experience such a life style, plus the convenience and savings of growing your own food as well as the nutritional factor, which we find amazing. Would highly recommend this to others, and would love Houzz to show more stories such as this to inspire more people to try it.

two chickens lay 5 eggs? That's a fertile couple of chickens....

One of my favourites 'My Houzz' and a great video

Beautiful everything... and very inspiring and motivating. Thank you!

I WANT THIS BACKYARD! So amazing! :D <3

This is it! Wow...

Love their lifestyle--the values expressed in how they live. Thank you!

Hello everyone, thank you so much for the kind support and great comments! We are so thankful for this warm community. @ttwells you asked about the pavers and they were purchased. They're CalArc pavers by Stepstone in the 18" x 36" size http://www.stepstoneinc.com/calarc-pavers.php. Best of luck!

So inspirational! Amazing family, great garden and a lot to learn from them..love it! Bravo guys ;)

mrsqnbee I wish I knew why we don't have bees in East Texas.....Not sure if it is the Wasp population or what. I've searched online for an answer to no avail.

I see there is an East Texas Beekeepers Association. Maybe they would have some information. It is true that wasps sometimes harass hives to steal honey. And I've read that they can eat honeybees. But I'm not sure if they can wipe the entire bee population out. Do you have nectar and water sources near you? Have you thought of getting a dog, cat or geese to help with the garden thieves? Sorry to hear that you are having a hard time keeping your harvest. That has got to be frustrating!

I've contacted the ETBA and hope to get a response soon. It maybe that the mosquito spraying may have an effect on bees as well. Honeybees are now on the endangered list due to Zika spraying

. I have four cats and several rat snakes on the property that all do a pretty good job of keeping certain rodents in check but none of them are a match apparently for the Squirrel....our cats play with the squirrels. My hubby has just finished making a gardenhouse out of the garden area that can be winterized and open under a secure netting for the summer. keeping fingers cross that we have success next year.

Sharej are there enough flowering plants to attract them? We're west Texas not east but our rosemary cascading on our front wall draws hundreds of honeybees. In addition to the rosemary we have an assortment of other native and low-water flowering shrubs but they seem to love the rosemary best.

I saw in the news how the Zika spraying had killed honeybees in South Carolina. That was sickening. I hope they are not spraying that toxic pesticide anywhere in Texas! I have read that Carolina Jessamine can kill bees. I believe it blooms in East Texas. Some beekeepers say that it won't hurt the bees because they avoid it if there are other flowers available. I learned about this from a comment on a recent Houzz article.

Pamela Herron you may be on to something....I have Rosemary growing but come to think of it I haven't seen a bloom one on them since we planted them. We have roses & blackberries blooming most of the time and we've planted honeysuckle from nursery cuttings last year and they still don't have a flowery showing yet. Also have a trumpet vine and clematis that blooms. Sure isn't CA for growing anything. The only thing that has done well that we brought from CA was our Sago Palms & Staghorn plants. Went to a charity plant sale in Town and it was downright pitiful....The only thing that looked rich was the dirt....lol. Mrsqnbee, we get sprayed here once a week...not sure when it will stop now that cooler weather is approaching. We are still in the high humid zone until.

I know our rosemary doesn't like wet feet. You might want to see about sending a soil sample to be tested too. Maybe there is a way to amend the soil. If they are spraying for mosquitoes in your area, that's probably the real answer to why no bees. Zika is dangerous, yes, but wholesale spraying isn't the solution, especially when it kills most of the insects we need too!

We spotted a neighbor this morning on our walk who had Rosemary growing in the ground in their front yard landscaping, from a distance I thought it was ferns but Rosemary....just gorgeous, so we are going to move our potted Rosemary over to a west exposure spot of our house. Thank you for the tip.

Great video. Very inspirational. Thank you.

Thank you so much for showing "a homestead" that is aesthetically pleasing!! Congratulations for parenting and garden inspiration!

I want to thank the Gibson family for sharing their outstanding home with us. They are the coolest family EVER!!!!!! I want to move in with them. I want them to adopt me. I want to duplicate their backyard in my backyard. I love the part of the story about them adopting the unwanted bees. I never knew there was such a thing!!! So uplifting!!! I love their little water basin for the bees so they can have a drink. I used to have a fountain that wasps very delicately drank from. It was fun to watch them. Bravo, A+, Good job, made my day!!!!! Who needs a stinking swimming pool anyway????? That garden ROCKS!!!!!

This is so awesome. These kind of spaces are family inspired. It's just beyond words what you guys have done. Brilliant job.

Love the garden and its really amazing!! Great work!!

Wow! I am so impressed. It gives me so many ideas. I know a local fellow on a city lot who'd have a big brood of chickens if he could, he likes them so much.

I am glad the pool wasn't too expensive to fill in. The fellow next door was quoted $20-30,000 to fill in his small pool. This is way better! Love it! Thanks for sharing.

What plants do you have that chickens will not eat?

Chicken wire and veganism.

I love this - cute, smart family, funny chicken names, beautiful garden, and cool house. I am a wee tad jealous.

Love this.