Archive for Before and Afters

Attractive front entry with steel riser steps, big pavers and balanced hardscapes

Preparing Your Landscape for Selling Your Portland Home

Posted by Carol 
· January 28, 2025 

Spruce Up Your Yard for Curb Appeal: Expert Tips from a Landscape Designer

Are you planning to downsize in the next few years?  You might be ready for a simpler life, but before you sell your house, giving your yard a touch-up—or a full redesign!—could make a considerable difference in attracting potential buyers and getting the best offers.

Before photo shows our clients in N. Portland started a re-design with newly poured concrete but got stuck, stopped and called us.
Attractive front entry with steel riser steps, big pavers and balanced hardscapes
This front yard landscape in Kenton neighborhood in St. Johns gets an A for curb appeal and feels welcoming.  Nice work by the clients and our designer Alana Chau.

However, the good news is that you may not need to spend a fortune on a total yard makeover! As a landscape designer with extensive experience designing front landscapes to look and feel inviting, I have some friendly tips to share with you.

1. Consult Early with Professionals

Usually, I suggest my clients consult with a realtor (yes, even two or three years early) or a landscape designer like me with experience in preparing home landscapes for resale. Why? A professional will help you determine where to invest your money effectively. We are impartial to all the personal details of your landscape.  There’s no need to fix every little thing; you just want to address what’s truly necessary. Realtors and seasoned landscape designers like myself have the insights needed to pinpoint and address potential buyer’s priority concerns.

2. Curb Appeal: First Impressions Matter

A bad curb appeal photo can be a deal-breaker these days. Plan now to ensure your entry photo is a wow factor or at the very least, has no unattractive views. Take a few photos from different angles and ask a friend for their opinion. Sometimes, a fresh set of eyes can spot things you might overlook.

No front walk to the front door is a curb appeal problem!
No front walk is a curb appeal problem.
After photo shows how the front landscape adds curb appeal.
After design and installation by D and J Landscape Contractors this front landscape feels and looks inviting.

3. Screen Unattractive Views

Looking into a neighbor’s yard or window from key areas of the home can be off-putting for potential buyers. People feel strongly about privacy. I often design for homeowners within one or two years of their moving into a new home, and I’ve noticed that a lot of the initial discomfort due to lack of privacy tends to fade over time.  However, to appeal to a buyer’s initial concerns, providing more privacy or screening than you have needed maybe crucial. Starting now means you can plant something that shows promise of future screening, even if it hasn’t reached its full height by the time you move.

4. Enhance Key Views

Privacy fence for ADU in north Portland, Oregon

Views from picture windows and master bedrooms are key selling points. Block unattractive views, such as a shed, with a well-placed small tree or large shrub. Remember a plant is not always the solution.  Enhancing these views can transform the space into a tranquil retreat that buyers will love.

5. Keep It Simple

Synthetic lawn and colorful plantings give this NE Portland front landscape landscape design welcoming appeal.

An overly manicured landscape or one with lots and lots of cottage garden style plantings can scare off potential buyers. A simple yard with a neatly shaped lawn and well-maintained planting beds is more appealing. If you have a native plant area that looks very natural, consider getting a backyard bird certification sign. The certification sign can give the impression your natural styled outdoor space is deliberate and cared for.

6. Avoid the Appearance of Ongoing Projects

Ensure that nothing in your yard looks like a project for the potential buyer. Buyers want to envision themselves moving in without additional hassles. A clean, well-maintained yard says “move-in ready.”

Wrapping up

Following these tips can spruce up your yard without the expense of a total makeover.

PS: Remember, while Realtors are experts in market trends, don’t underestimate the value a skilled landscape designer can bring to the table. We’re here to help make your yard look its absolute best, ensuring a smooth and successful sale!

Contact Us

Contact us for a landscape design that takes into account the future of your property whether you plan to live there 20 years or three.  We love to draw up our designs inspired by ideas from your dreams but you can count on us to lay the foundation for future resale. 

Categories : Before and Afters, Garden Tips, No Lawn Front Yards
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Landscaping A Mixed-Use House & Office Property in Eliot Neighborhood: Part 2

Posted by Landscape Design in a Day 
· September 24, 2024 

Including Existing Trees & Plants In Eliot Neighborhood Front Yard Landscaping

Before landscaping picture of eliot neighborhood Portland home. Includes 2 existing boxwoods that will be kept.

Existing overgrown front yard in N.E. Portland’s Eliot Neighborhood . Our new planting plan will showcase this bungalows’ best features.

When revamping a landscape I like to start with the existing trees.  The tiny front yard of the Eliot Neighborhood property features two prominent trees: a young Dogwood, approximately 12 feet tall and wide, in the lawn area, and a young Serviceberry, about 10 feet tall and wide, situated in the parking strip.

Plan for the mature size of your trees

When evaluating trees in a landscape, I can realistically envision what size they will be in 10 or 20 years; most homeowners have a disconnect from what the tree tag says about growth rate and size when they buy the tree.  So, happily in this case, the trees my client planted 5 years ago can stay with a bit of professional help.

An example of mature Dogwood trees shaped in the form used at the Eliot Neighborhood Portland landscaping project.

This is  a similar form of tree now as mature Dogwood trees in N. Portland. These very mature trees  +30 years, were slowly limbed up a long time ago.  Look at the nice big trunks that developed.  Never remove lower branches from a young tree without knowing what you are doing.  You can stunt their growth forever.

Dogwood tree at Eliot Neighborhood Portland landscaping project.

This fairly young lovely dogwood tree will grow into the parked car area in the near future. It’s beautiful with all its lower limbs isn’t it?  N.E. Portland parking strip.

Professional Tree Pruning

Leslie already has an arborist who comes every year and he is pruning our Dogwood with minimal cuts due to its young age.  But now that we are putting a path between the dogwood and the house, he will come in and prune some additional low branches out so we can walk through this area to the office. Eventually this tree will be crown raised also called limbed up.    My photos give you a better idea of how big these trees get.

Practical Tip for DIYers: Avoid pruning young trees too early. I generally advise against any pruning for the first two years after planting and then only very minimal cuts if at all. This ensures the trunk develops adequately.  Too much pruning can stunt your trees growth and cause harm to its structure. If your tree is tiny, wait until it has developed a much larger caliper trunk before limbing up. This process, is typically known as “lifting” or Crown Raise .  It involves the removal of some lower limbs by a certified arborist.

Plants

The backdrop features a trio of  golden Italian cypress, while the garden itself includes a peach-toned rose and perennials in Leslie’s favorite colors; sky blue, apricot, lavender, and strong pinks.   Leslie knew exactly where she wanted her apple tree Belgian Fence  (this is a pruning technique similar to espalier) and it will be part of the barrier for the west side of the backyard.  I selected compatible plants, such as Echinacea ‘White Swan,’ and several fun self seeding annuals (Love in a Mist also call Nigella the sky blue flowering form will be seeded into this bed.)   California poppy and honey scented alyssum are some of the self seeding plants on our list.  Self seeding annuals and bi-annuals like Forget Me Not seamlessly integrate the garden.

 

Example of Lady of Shallot Rose that was planted at the Eliot Neighborhood landscaping project.

Lady of Shallot Rose David Austen in her apricot stage in a NE Portland garden design.

Selecting a rose is tricky.  While trial and error might be fun for some, most of my clients want me to pick for them.  Leslie wanted a fragrant peach apricot toned rose that is disease resistant.  For some reason there are very few disease resistant roses that are in this color range and that are also fragrant.

The rose I recommended is called Lady of Shallot and the flower changes color as it matures showing yellow, apricot, orange and warm pink.  It is fragrant, disease resistant and can be 5′ tall. I have several clients who now feel this is the best rose ever for its beauty and fragrance.

Leslie was delighted with the backyard garden design, appreciating the magical customized garden we created.

Continue reading about Leslie’s dream garden in our upcoming Part 3 blog.

Do You Have A Dream Garden?

A dream garden comes from careful crafting with the client, in the form of practical design. This includes, making use of existing trees and flowers, paired with a planting plan that delights the eye (and suits your garden care skills). This is my passion—creating custom landscape designs for small city properties.

Contact me to bring your dream garden to life.

Categories : Backyard Office or Studio, Before and Afters, Garden Tips, Tree Selection
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Landscaping A Mixed-Use House & Office Property in Eliot Neighborhood: Part 1

Posted by Carol 
· August 28, 2024 

A Garden Full of Joy in Portland Starts with Planning & Hardscaping

Eliot neighborhood Portland, OR before the hardscape landscaping shows existing old apple tree.

Before Landscape Design shows worn out patio pavers in tiny backyard NE Portland with with sweet old apple tree. (Eliot Neighborhood)

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 push my creativity and expertise. I first designed a landscape for Leslie’s North Portland home two years ago, so when she approached me with her latest project—a mixed-use investment property in the Eliot neighborhood of NE Portland—I was intrigued.  This wasn’t a typical residential landscape; our design would encompass both a residential rental home plus Leslie’s private entry office, and her dream garden surrounding it.

Let me share how we transformed this unique space, showcasing how valuable design experience, know-how and collaboration can truly create the perfect fit.

Eliot Neighborhood Portland property needed privacy in their dream landscaping design.

Creating privacy without giving up sunlight was a tricky balance for this NE Portland backyard – photo is before landscape design.

Planning A Garden Full of Joy 

Starting with the backyard, we needed to incorporate Leslie’s remodeling plans, which included adding an entry door to her private office. She envisioned a back porch or patio accessible from the kitchen’s new French doors, serving as a dining and entertaining space for her tenant. However, designing this area posed a spatial challenge due to the kitchen threshold, which sits 42 inches above the ground.

Eliot Neighborhood Portland before landscaping design for privacy.

Infill houses surround this tiny backyard before landscape design. Note vine maple and Oregon grape in foreground.

It quickly became apparent that a patio wouldn’t work; the number of stairs required would consume too much of the small yard. Instead, we designed a dining deck that both Leslie and I loved. The deck integrates an existing old apple tree with low branches that naturally adds privacy to the dining area, and its one-sided growth adds charm. This tree is not just aesthetic; it will support patio lights, adding a magical touch to evening gatherings.

Leslies Dream Garden

With the hardscape layout finalized, it was time to bring Leslie’s dream garden to life.  I shaped the planting beds and the path together. There is a minimum of 36″ walkway around the birdbath and a wider area for placing two chairs in the back corner for sitting.  I centered a birdbath on the office door and surrounded it with flowering plants that offer four seasons of interest. There is a tendency to make the paths too small when working with a tiny backyard.  36 inches is big enough to accommodate a wheelbarrow.

Continue reading about Leslie’s dream garden in our upcoming Part 2 blog.

What is Your Dream Garden?

A carefully crafted garden springs from a practical design with well-situated paths and functional spaces, paired with a planting plan that delights the eye (and suits your garden care skills). This is my passion—creating custom landscape designs for small city properties.

Contact me to bring your dream garden to life.

 

Categories : Backyard Office or Studio, Before and Afters, Deck Design, Design Basics, Garden Tips, Parking Strips, Privacy, Tree Selection
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Transforming Outdoor Living Space Dreams Into Reality: Part Two

Posted by Landscape Design in a Day 
· July 26, 2024 

New Backyard Combines Function & Beauty in NE Portland

Weigela shrubs were incorporated into this NE Portland dream outdoor living space design.

The weigela shrubs were mature and covered the fence on the south side beautifully and these plants will stay in the new garden. Here is a close up of the flower cluster on a May day.

The custom design process of my NE Portland clients’ backyard checked off a lot of their wish list. I was also able to incorporate existing plantings into the new design. Let’s look at a few details of the transformation process and see how their outdoor living dream became a reality.

  1. Studio Space: My thinking through the use of the property and how my clients would walk to the studio was one big factor on final placement.  Setting the 12′ x 16′ studio on an angle softened the view of the structure and allowed for better use of the small yard.  We also needed a larger than typical patio without sacrificing planting areas and again the angle worked to our benefit giving us more room for the patio.  It also gave us a small very private corner garden room, with (lots of ferns) and the existing Mountain Ash tree remains in this corner.  I could imagine curious grandkids playing back there away from the grown-ups.

    Perennial Hellebore was used in the dream outdoor living space backyard design in NE Portland.

    Hellebore is a perennial that flowers in early spring. This one was still in flower late May.

  2. Curved Pathways and Dog-Friendly Zones: We designed gentle, curved pathways that connect all sitting areas and create a sense of exploration.  There are shady areas for their dog to explore or snooze in.
  3. They chose a prefabricated shed from Better Built Barns out of Salem, customizing it to become their creative studio. Choosing the pre fabricated shed saved quite a bit of money over a custom.
  4. Outdoor Cooking Area: Its amazing how tricky placing the BBQ can be.  We tried many different locations but ultimately convenience of use won out with the location near the door to the backyard.  There were many location options for the pizza oven.
  5. Privacy and Views: To address privacy concerns and improve views, we carefully planned the placement of a small berm to place a tree. The added height of the berm creates privacy from south side neighbors more quickly.
  6. Removing Laurel Hedge: Our clients gave up the old laurel hedge because it was taking so much square footage.  This change opened up a significant amount of space to add more lush plantings.  The lush plantings help balance the large faux flagstone patio paver area and second seating area.
  7. Water Management: Donna Burdick of D & J Landscape Contractors created a simple irrigation system designed for low water as part of the overall landscape installation.
  8. Faux Flagstone Patio:  We needed a larger than typical primary dining patio and to keep it looking natural my clients chose flagstone.  Donna Burdick and I looked at the possibility of using Mega-Arbel which is actually a concrete paver which loosely quotes the visual look of flagstone, (from Belgard which we have used in the past).  The color range and the ease of installation sold us all and this is the paver we used-Belgard Mega-Arbel flagstone pavers.

The Transformation Process

I introduced my clients to one of my top landscape contractors, Donna Burdick of D & J Landscape Contractors.  My clients connected with Donna and we embarked on a journey to bring our vision to life.

Construction of hardscape is pictured for the NE Portland backyard. Including a fall crape myrtle.

Photo credit: Donna Burdick, D & J Landscape Contractors. Crape myrtle showing off fall colors, crushed rock paths laid and the flagstone pavers were installed for the patio next to the house. Nothing else would happen until the studio was built.

The project kicked off with the installation of the landscape layout (paths and base for the paver patio) and the foundation slab for the studio where a few last minute nudges were made to the studio location. Once the slab-on-grade foundation was poured, the studio was installed, painted, and finalized. Donna Burdick’s team then returned to bring the planting plan to life and finish all the details.

Outdoor Living Space

California Lilac flowering in May – love that blue.

A New Lifestyle Unveiled

On a sunny April day, I came by to visit. The transformation was nothing short of spectacular. Amy was entertaining a guest in the studio, and told me how the studio was used daily and was an integral part of their daily life. The backyard was now a happy blend of function and beauty, perfectly suited to their needs.

Get Inspired

If you’re dreaming of a great backyard, one that fits all your wishes check us out. At Landscape Design In A Day, we’re passionate about turning dreams into tangible functional realities. Whether you need a dream backyard makeover, or a full property transformation, we’re here to help you get it just right.

Your dreams can also become a reality, whether large or small, when sitting down to work with me and create a beautiful outdoor living space.

Categories : Backyard Office or Studio, Before and Afters, Garden Tips, No lawn back yard, Privacy, Water features
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Transforming Outdoor Living Space Dreams Into Reality: Part One

Posted by Carol 
· July 11, 2024 

 

A NE Portland Backyard Makeover Design

NE Portland clients landscape dreams included a studio, lots of entertaining spaces and lush plantings.

NE Portland clients landscape dreams included a studio, lots of entertaining spaces and lush plantings.

Studio garden for entertaining in spring NE Portland in its first year. In the background a new Italian oak tree was planted for shade and privacy.  Quercus frainetto – Forest Green Oak

Transforming Dreams into Reality: A Backyard Makeover Story

My clients had a long wish list for their charming NE Portland home. For 18 years they have thought about what changes would make their backyard into a dream outdoor living space.

With plans to stay for at least another 30, they love their neighborhood and home, they decided it was time to transform their underutilized backyard into a personal paradise.

NE Portland backyard with tall grass and plantings before the outdoor living space design.

The long grass of their NE Portland backyard before the custom design for their dream outdoor living space.

The Big Wish List

They discovered Landscape Design In A Day through a web search and came to me with a comprehensive wish list. They envisioned a backyard that catered to their lifestyle and passions, with the following features:

  • A large patio or deck for entertaining.
  • A secondary seating area in the garden for relaxed conversations.
  • A hot tub and sauna (though these were cut I asked for the full wish list)
  • A studio for creative pursuits.
  • Curved pathways and room for their dog to run.
  • Shady spots for their dog to lounge.
  • Bird-friendly features to attract local wildlife.
  • Outdoor cooking amenities, like a grill and possibly an outdoor pizza oven.
  • Privacy and good views, blocking out undesirable sights.
  • Sun for edibles and herbs, alongside shade for comfort.
  • Lush planting areas with color
  • Low water usage and a better watering system with a timer, without investing in a full irrigation system.

Designing Their Dream Yard

NE Portland backyard with large flagstone patio; gravel base installed and in foreground a water feature with a drilled rock. Photo by Donna Burdick.

Backyard in NE Portland with large flagstone patio, paths and studio, gravel base installed and in foreground a water feature with a drilled rock takes its first test run. Photo by Donna Burdick  of D and J Landscape Contractors

We worked together to prioritize their wish list and right away with my first sketch we all agreed the hot tub and sauna would not fit.  There was enough room to have the studio, the entertaining area and a lush garden.  We kept the large laurel hedge (initially) because it provided so much privacy.   The need for more lush garden planting areas won out over the laurel. They also had many lush plantings that they were fond of.  Some would be re-used beautifully.  With such a small yard a lot of our time and focus went to the layout of the garden rooms.  I wanted a gracious landscape that would feel inviting and not cramped.

It took us several drawings with different locations for the studio to see that the studio at an angle was the right choice. To me it made more usable space and at first to my clients it seemed to take away square footage of the yard.  True enough there would be more square footage if the studio fit squarely into the back corner of the yard.  I was happy when I finally did the right drawing so they too could see how the angle was beneficial.

Primary and Secondary Seating Areas: We created a spacious primary patio perfect for entertaining and a secondary seating area for more intimate gatherings.

Continue reading about this dream outdoor living space in our upcoming Part Two blog that will include more details about the landscape design and plantings.

Contact me today and lets talk about starting your own landscape dream.

 

 

Categories : Backyard Office or Studio, Before and Afters, Garden Tips, No lawn back yard, outdoor living, Privacy, Water features
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