ONE person's trash is another person's treasure, and a landscaping expert proved just that.

Monica Babwah, 51, spoke to The U.S Sun about her backyard renovation, detailing how she did it herself — and all on a budget.

The landscaper opened up about her passion for breathing new life into old properties.

The New York native, who is now based in New Port Richey, Florida, sees the beauty in the forgotten.

"After moving to Florida, I took a liking to landscaping and historic homes," she explained.

Monica continued: "I started going to thrift stores and garage sales to buy things that people thought were one step away from being thrown away."

Through her bargain shopping, Monica was able to exercise her creativity while also saving money to buy old houses.

The mother of four explained how therapeutic she found both her landscaping and renovation work to be.

"I like landscaping and old houses that aren’t perfect, much like people," Monica said.

"I feel that shrubs don’t have to be perfectly trimmed, let them grow and shape themselves naturally."

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After purchasing her home in New Port Richey, Monica paid a visit to the property with her father — and he wasn't impressed.

"He hated it so much, he thought I was out of my mind for even thinking about purchasing it but I saw something special in this house," she said.

The landscaping pro then set to work to bring her vision of the house to life.

The remodeling of the house and garden took months but Monica's hard work paid off.

Discussing her DIY garden path, she explained: "I purchased 400 bricks that were made in the 1800s for just $50.

"They needed some cleaning but I saw the beauty in them through all the dirt."

She spent two months cleaning each individual brick that she had piled up in her driveway.

Inspired by the history behind the bricks, Monica began to think about the people who had previously walked on them.

The landscape artist explained: "That was the keyword, 'walked.'

"The very next day I started making a brick walkway that one of my children will walk down to marry the love of their life."

Keeping history alive is a simple concept not lost on Monica.

"It brings tears to my eyes that I can create something so special, a memory I will never forget," she said.

After her husband arrived home with a truckload of pallets, Monica devised her next DIY creation.

"The very next morning I was in the backyard building a deck with the pallets," she recalled.

When he returned to the property, Monica's dad was shocked at the house's impressive transformation.

Having raised a daughter who installed a parquet floor at the age of nine, her father was impressed by her continued creativity.

"On his last visit to Florida, he wasn’t well but he still walked around and admired all of my work," she said.

Before leaving, Monica's dad encouraged her to continue her work and show others what she can do.

"I had no idea that would be the last time I would ever talk to him, shortly after he passed away," she admitted.

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Just as she continues on the history of the old houses she renovates, Monica keeps his memory alive through her creativity.

You can follow Monica's landscape journey on her TikTok account.

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