by Carol | Mar 10, 2025 | Drought Tolerant Garden, Garden Tips, Gardening Green, New Improved Plants, Parking Strips, Plants I Recommend, Tree Selection
Designers test tree. This Olive tree stands the test of time. I drive by this tree often and have watched it handle 10 Portland winters. In summer it gets hot south sun with reflected heat from paving in NW Industrial area of Portland (NW Pettygrove). Why Olive...
by Carol | Aug 28, 2024 | Backyard Office or Studio, Before and Afters, Deck Design, Design Basics, Garden Tips, Parking Strips, Privacy, Tree Selection
A Garden Full of Joy in Portland Starts with Planning & Hardscaping I always love designing for small city backyards. Then there’s something incredibly rewarding about working with a repeat client—especially one like Leslie, whose vision challenges me to...
by Carol | Jun 13, 2018 | Garden Tips, Low Maintenance Landscape Examples, New Improved Plants, Parking Strips, Plants I Recommend, Winter Gardening
How to Help Your Manzanita Thrive In St. Johns Portland Manzanita (called Arctostaplylos – Arc toe staff eye loss) is the new cool darling plant here in Portland. The reasons why are numerous, unique “new” plant, drought tolerance, attractive in winter and all year,...
by Carol | Oct 18, 2017 | Dramatic Flowers, Garden Tips, Low Maintenance Landscape Examples, Parking Strips, Plants I Recommend, Summer Garden Tips
Violet blue flowers in your summer garden There is something magical about violet blue flowers in a summer garden. A mass of long flowering intense violet, purple or blue flowers to see from your summer chaise is a joy. Here is a plant that I use in my garden designs...
by Carol | Sep 6, 2017 | Garden Tips, Low Maintenance Landscape Examples, Parking Strips, Plants I Recommend, Shade Plants, Tree Selection
Native Plants for Drought Tolerant City Landscaping People dream of a landscape that will need no watering. Sometimes because they think it will be less work but more likely these days they recognize that water or the lack of it is an environmental problem that will...
by Carol | Jul 26, 2017 | Dramatic Flowers, Garden Tips, Low Maintenance Landscape Examples, Parking Strips, Plants I Recommend, Summer Garden Tips
Coreopsis colorful easy low-water plantings As a Portland landscape designer I use Coreopsis verticillata and its’ cultivars because it’s a perfect colorful, low maintenance plant for modern landscape designs, bee friendly gardens, cottage gardens,...
