Expand<\/a>
\nIt all started with dirt<\/p>\nIn 2015, they wanted to buy a house with a yard that has ample size and privacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe needed property that gave us backyard privacy, and it was either going to be Alpine, where we were living at the time, or here. My parents, brother and cousin live here, so we came back to where our family was,\u201d said Tiffany, 44, who added that she\u2019s lived in the neighborhood on and off since she was 9 years old.<\/p>\n
The house they found in the Eucalyptus Hills neighborhood of Lakeside was built in 1956. It was, for the most part, turnkey. They made cosmetic changes to the 1,500-square-foot house itself, but the yard needed work.<\/p>\n
A lot of work.<\/p>\n
There was a pool with a decent-sized patch of grass nearby, but just past that, there was dirt.<\/p>\n
A lot of dirt.<\/p>\n
In their new home, Jared, the creative half of the duo, had envisioned building a backyard with a Western theme.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the people who lived here before spent most of their money on the pool and these palm trees,\u201d Jared, 40, said, pointing to the band of palm trees that dot the property. There\u2019s a pygmy palm here, a sago palm there and queen palms everywhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe second we saw the palm trees, we realized that we couldn\u2019t really pull off the Western-themed yard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jared slowly pivoted. When he came up with a Hollywood theme, did he immediately start with the project?<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst, he had to get Mom\u2019s approval,\u201d Madison chimed in with a chuckle. \u201cShe\u2019s like the HOA.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI either approve or decline it,\u201d Tiffany said, laughing. \u201cNo, seriously, Jared has the vision, and then I will add my piece or Maddie will suggest something, and then we as a group will decide that, yeah, that looks good. But Jared is definitely the visionary.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The movie “Jaws” was the inspiration for the outdoor movie theater in Tiffany and Jared Marshall’s backyard in Lakeside. (Ariana Drehsler \/ For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
\nMovie night<\/p>\n
The Marshalls\u2019 Hollywood-themed backyard traces its roots to Jared\u2019s desire for a place where friends and family could gather and watch movies.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted an outdoor movie theater,\u201d said Jared, whose taste in movies skews toward blockbusters, especially those directed by Steven Spielberg.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlastic chairs on the lawn around an outdoor screen \u2014 that\u2019s really how it started,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was just us sitting around to watch a movie.\u201d<\/p>\n
They built a small play area, complete with a swing set, for Madison in the far right corner, but a Home Depot purchase \u2014 a 9-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton statue \u2014 soon unleashed what would become \u201cThe Backlot.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Dinosaur sculptures can be seen near the miniature gravity roller coaster in Tiffany and Jared Marshall’s backyard in Lakeside. (Ariana Drehsler \/ For The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the first themed piece of material we bought,\u201d Jared said. \u201cAnd then from that, we decided to go full \u2018Jurassic Park\u2019 and then switch the theater over to a \u2018Jaws\u2019 theme.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, little by little, Jared\u2019s ideas moved from sketches to reality. But it really wasn\u2019t until the pandemic when he went full throttle on the Hollywood backlot concept.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the big changes happened during COVID,\u201d Jared said. \u201cYou know, you have more time to look at things and, well, you just had more time, period.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many spouses play golf on weekends. Jared tinkers with the yard.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just actually got my bachelor\u2019s degree in December, so I was constantly studying,\u201d said Tiffany, who\u2019s been a registered nurse for 21 years. \u201cHe\u2019d come in and say, \u2018I\u2019ll see you in six hours,\u2019 and then he\u2019d disappear. It all worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Trial and error\u2019<\/p>\n
To say Jared is obsessed with the backyard would be an understatement. But it\u2019s the good kind of obsession.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of what you see is me obsessing over things and trying to figure out what works and what doesn\u2019t \u2014 a lot of trial and error,\u201d he said. \u201cThis yard right now, it\u2019s like the 3.0 version.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of redoing of things over and over till it gets just right to where we want it. And then the second that\u2019s over, I\u2019m already on to the next thing. I usually have about three or four things in my mind that I want to knock out. And the second I get closer to finishing those things, there\u2019s another three or four things that I want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next up is getting rid of a trampoline in the \u201cJurassic World\u201d part of the yard and replacing it with a water feature. And then the \u201cIndiana Jones\u201d project will begin to take shape.<\/p>\n
Has the HOA \u2014 er, Tiffany \u2014 approved those plans?<\/p>\n
\u201cHa!\u201d Jared said. \u201cBut I think there\u2019s now a level of trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, most definitely,\u201d Tiffany said. \u201cHe spends a lot of time thinking about the plans, so it\u2019s never really a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jared added: \u201cIf I have an idea, I\u2019ll kind of run it through my head. I\u2019ll look at materials. I\u2019m pretty stingy with what I spend, so I\u2019ll look at prices for a while, and then if I know what I want, I\u2019ll start sketching it out, as far as how to build it.\u201d<\/p>\n
As much as he likes the idea phase of the process, he said it\u2019s actually not what he loves the most.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it\u2019s the actual building,\u201d said Jared, who has a bachelor\u2019s degree in graphic design and once ran his own graphic design business. \u201cI like the idea that you can have an idea in your head first, and then comes the part where you have to find a way to build it. It may seem impossible. It may be difficult. It may take longer than you thought, but every single time I\u2019ve built something, there\u2019s a sense of satisfaction that comes with it when I finally finish it.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Jared](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SUT-L-LAKESIDEYARD_0049.jpg\")
Jared Marshall helps his daughter, Madison, by holding the roller coaster while she gets in. The gravity roller coaster is a part of the Marshalls’ Hollywood-themed backyard in Lakeside. (Ariana Drehsler \/ For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
\n\u2018It\u2019s over the top\u2019<\/p>\n
For all the fuss surrounding their backyard, what does 13-year-old Madison think about all of it? Is she a movie fanatic like her dad?<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, not at all,\u201d said Madison, who said she prefers singing and crocheting to movies. She\u2019s sung the national anthem at the Lakeside Rodeo a couple of times and is the reigning Teen Miss Lakeside 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look back here, it\u2019s pretty crazy, but honestly, I show pictures of the backyard to my friends, and they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh my gosh, you have a roller coaster coaster in your backyard? What the heck?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t really faze me anymore because I see it every day,\u201d she said. \u201cI grew up with it, so it\u2019s just, you know, the backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Eileen Neumeister, who\u2019s been organizing the Lakeside Garden Tour since 2018, the Marshalls\u2019 yard brought a breath of fresh air to the annual event,\u00a0which Lakeside residents can attend and showcases anywhere from five to six neighborhood gardens.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first saw it, I thought, \u2018This is over the top. People are really going to enjoy it\u2019,\u201d Neumeister said. \u201cYes, it\u2019s not strictly about the plants. It\u2019s about the space and enjoying the space. It\u2019s just such a fun place. The Marshalls have such tremendous imagination, and they love having the neighbors come. Each year, we get a huge response when people find out the Jurassic house is on the tour. It\u2019s pretty special.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our third year being on the garden tour,\u201d Tiffany said. \u201cAnd many people have told us that the first thing they want to know is: \u2018Is the Jurassic house going to be on the tour?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Tiffany admits their backyard isn\u2019t everyone\u2019s cup of tea. She knows many on the garden tour \u201cdidn\u2019t quite get why our yard was on a garden tour.\u201d<\/p>\n
They spend hours working on the yard, snipping here and there, trimming trees and pulling weeds. But she knows theirs is not what many would consider the traditional garden for a garden tour. For what it\u2019s worth, every faux fauna in their back yard is surrounded by lush flora, from heat-loving agaves to towering banana trees to maroon-hued canna lilies.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe love opening our home up and having people come over here,\u201d Tiffany said. \u201cIt\u2019s about the experience for us \u2014 and people just enjoying being out here,\u201d so being on the tour seemed like a no-brainer. \u201cI think last summer we hosted 14 different parties between graduations, birthdays and work events.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Tiffany, one of the best parts of sharing their back yard with others is the visitors\u2019 initial reaction when they first step foot in the yard.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just do not know what to expect,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have people that comment on the courtyard,\u201d referring to a beautifully designed Spanish-inspired side patio just beyond the driveway. \u201cThey kind of hover, and I always tell them \u2018There\u2019s more. You just dipped your toes in the water. There\u2019s more.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started really small a few years ago, so I think what the community has enjoyed is seeing the different changes we make each time that they\u2019re here. Now neighbors refer to us as the dinosaur house or Jurassic house, which is cute.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Jared,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SUT-L-LAKESIDEYARD_0034.jpg\")
The Marshalls are no strangers to hosting parties in their backyard, which includes a tiki-themed outdoor bar built by Jared, shown here with Tiffany and their daughter, Madison. (Ariana Drehsler \/ For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
\nWhat\u2019s next?<\/p>\n
More than 10 years into their backyard project, Jared\u2019s to-do list hasn\u2019t really gotten any shorter.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople ask us, aren\u2019t you running out of places to do things in? You would think so, but we\u2019re not. I have ideas that will utilize every square inch,\u201d Jared said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
For now, there\u2019s the \u201cIndiana Jones\u201d part of the yard that\u2019s going to be built just up the hillside. Jared has plans for a temple and an Indiana Jones figurine dangling from the top. There will be rocks and \u201cperhaps even a moving boulder,\u201d he said with a smile. He wants to incorporate a water slide from that area into the pool.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still have to figure that out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd consult the HOA!\u201d Madison said, looking at Tiffany.<\/p>\n
In the short-term, though, the summer season\u2019s first outdoor movie night beckons. They\u2019ve come a long way since those early days of a projector sitting on a small table surrounded by plastic chairs.<\/p>\n
Now, the projector sits hidden inside an enclosure meant to replicate a boat in the fictional \u201cJaws\u201d town of Amity Island. There\u2019s a state-of-the-art sound system. And four Roku streaming devices feed the projector and four TVs across the yard \u2014 with an internet signal coming from a Wi-Fi extender just behind the Margaritaville-themed bar.<\/p>\n
The first outdoor movie of the season?<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2019Indiana Jones,\u2019 of course,\u201d Jared says.<\/p>\n
Originally Published: June 28, 2025 at 6:00 AM PDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It took Jared and Tiffany Marshall nearly a decade, but their backyard is finally something they can be…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":21878,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,20159,20158,1582,276,20161,20157,20160,14107,20162,2406,11755,7293,3549,7264,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-21877","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-backlot","10":"tag-backyard","11":"tag-ca","12":"tag-california","13":"tag-east-county","14":"tag-garden","15":"tag-garden-tour","16":"tag-hollywood","17":"tag-indiana-jones","18":"tag-jaws","19":"tag-jurassic-world","20":"tag-lakeside","21":"tag-san-diego","22":"tag-sandiego","23":"tag-united-states","24":"tag-united-states-of-america","25":"tag-unitedstates","26":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","27":"tag-us","28":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21877","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21877"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21877\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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The entrance to Jared and Tiffany Marshall’s backyard hints at the Hollywood homage that awaits. (Ariana Drehsler \/ For The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n![\"Posters](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SUT-L-LAKESIDEYARD_0026.jpg\")
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