Archive for Garden Tips – Page 7

Landscaping for Portland Back Yard Office Shed : Part 2 of 3

Posted by Carol 
· April 11, 2023 

Back Yard Office Shed And Dream Landscape – Have Both!

Siting for Portland back yard office shed and dream landscape.

Before back yard home office

Recently Stacy in NE Portland worked with Landscape Design in a Day  to add a 12′ x 10′ Tough Shed for her back yard home office studio. Stacy wanted her dream landscape with lots of outdoor entertaining space and a back yard home office for her very small back yard in NE Portland.

She had already ordered a 12′ x 10′ shed, (Tough Shed) to use as her office.  Our job was to figure out the best placement to be easily accessible for her ‘daily commute’ to work and also fit perfectly into her dream back yard.

Think Like a Designer – What Do You Need to Know to Put an Office or Studio in Your Portland Back Yard?

First we looked at the City of Portland’s rules and regulations and determined we could install the shed (under 200 square feet) without a zoning or building permit.

 Here’s a link to the page I often use.  A homeowner in the city of Portland can also schedule a 15 minute consultation with a zoning expert to be sure their area is eligible to build a shed without a zoning permit or building permit.  My advice is to be sure your plans are not a problem for your neighbor because if they complain to the city it can greatly complicate matters even if you are following the rules. 

Determine Where to Put the Office

NE Portland tough shed home office prior to landscaping.

Back yard home office in NE Portland is installed and awaits the dream landscape installation.

I considered Stacy’s outdoor living needs and ideas and agreed our best place was in the NE corner of her back yard.  Part of making that decision was based on the location of other aspects of her dream back yard to include a magnificent and huge Japanese maple.  See Part 1 Blog about Stacy’s patio and back porch design. I referred Stacy to a certified arborist for advice on the best installation technique for the foundation of the office and of course paths.

NE Portland landscaping plans concept 1.

Placing the Studio Concept 1 has grass for the dogs but no useable path through to the studio or driveway.

Placing an office in the back yard of  such a small city lot was more of a process of elimination.  In a larger property we have more possibilities to explore. We needed a path across from the back porch to the driveway and garage, and also from that same spot a path to the patio and to the office door.    Another influence was creating a small lawn area for  her two dogs.  In the end we had to put the back wall of the office right on the driveway line in order to make all the spaces work together.

Transportation – The Path to the Outdoor Office

Obvious paths such as from the driveway and parking area into the house are always first.  In this design we let go of having a person door out the side of the garage because it would spoil the functional patio space.

Designers think about how both people and pets come and go from the house and of course making daily access to the office convenient is a big art of this initial study.

Doors are very important – Where to put the door to the office?

I tried two locations for the door.  One had the primary access coming from the back porch and to a door facing into the back yard which limited planting space but was the most obvious location.

Or we could access the office from the public sidewalk and go out the front door  of the house for the daily work commute.  This had the advantage of plantings across the back of the studio making more of a garden plantings view from the patio and the house. But it felt too public to Stacy and she already knew she wanted to come and go from the back porch which is the part of the house she spends the most time in.  (See concept 2).

The solution that made all the transportation needs work was to set pavers into the grass for the primary path to the home office and the driveway.   

Protect Your Shade Trees when installing a Back Yard Home Office

NE Portland residential landscape plan concept 2.

Concept 2 has a different grass shape and path location.

NE Portland back yard prior to landscaping installation.Arborist to Advise on Best Installation Technique

I referred her to Issac at Honl Tree Care for an arborist site visit .  He helped her by showing her how to work with the installation technique for the foundation of the office to protect the tree roots and also gave her general care instructions to include how much and when to water her very special shade tree.  

After seven concept drawings, Stacy and I arrived at our preferred landscape layout with a patio sized and shaped to fit both lounging and dining, some grass for the dogs with a useful flagstone path through it and the back yard home office.   With the right placement and professional advice, Stacy was able to include her new office shed and create her dream back yard.

Client Testimonial

“Carol did a fantastic job designing our very difficult back yard space and worked in just about all our asks.  She was easy to work with, and I greatly enjoyed the format and how she got to know my preferences for this or that.  I’ll be asking her to do a plan for my front yard once the back is done!”

Contact Us

If you have a tricky outdoor living design project in your Portland area back yard and would like to discuss it with us, please contact us for a phone appointment.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Categories : Before and Afters, Customer Testimonials, Dog and Cat Friendly Gardens, Garden Tips, outdoor living
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Drought Tolerant Plantings for St Johns North Portland Landscape Designs

Posted by Carol 
· March 28, 2023 
Photo from St Johns North Portland of Cedar Wax Wings in a Mahonia 'Charity' large shrub.

Cedar Way Wings feast on fruit from Mahonia ‘Charity’ Photo by Hilary Hutler

Testing Xera Plants for Wildlife in North Portland

Welcome to Part 1 of a 2 part blog series on drought tolerant plants for North Portland front yards. As a Portland landscape designer, I understand how important it is to choose drought tolerant plants to help conserve water and beautify your landscape.

Record breaking plant sales for both Xera Plants in Portland and Cistus Designs,  a nursery on Sauvie Island, are just one indicator of the way Portlanders are embracing low water plants. 90% of prospective clients who contact me for Portland Landscape Designs ask for plantings plans that take into account our climate change and are planning for a much lower water usage in their landscape.

Test Landscape for Drought Tolerant Plants in St Johns Portland

Portland associate garden designer.

Hilary Hutler Landscape Designer in North Portland St. Johns Neighborhood

Our  associate garden designer, Hilary Hutler, uses her hot, west facing front yard in St. Johns neighborhood to test and explore the new wave of low water plants. She has a personal interest going back many years and has become well versed with drought tolerant plantings to include Pacific Northwest Native Plants and cold hardy Mediterranean plantings.

Today I’m sharing five of her current favorite low water plants that are drought tolerant, pollinator and bird food and have year-round interest.

 5 of Hilary’s Favorite Drought Tolerant Plants

Oregon Grape in Flower at Cistus Designs Nursery. North Portland

Oregon Grape, Mahonia ‘Charity’

Oregon Grape, Mahonia ‘Charity’- Hummingbird show and food source puts on a dramatic show in early winter.

Mahonia Gracilipes an evergreen shrub sports red stems from spent flowers and berries for birds. North Portland.

Mahonia Gracilipes sports red stems from spent flowers and berries for birds. Photo Hilary Hutler

Mahonia Gracilipes- This evergreen shrub has leathery, glossy dark green foliage and clusters of fragrant, yellow flowers in late winter or early spring.

Flower close up of Arctostaphylos 'John Dourley a compact and smaller shrub than most Manzanita (Arctostaphylos). North Portland

Arctostaphylos ‘John Dourley’ flower close up. Photo by Hilary Hutler

Manzanita ‘John Dourley’- is a great smaller shrub and is favored for it’s more manageable size and overall good looks and yes the flowers.

Griffiths Arctostaphylos (Manzanita) in Spring North Portland.

My photo of Hilary’s Austin Griffiths Arctostaphylos (Manzanita) just prior to flowering.

Griffith Manzanita flowers in St Johns neighborhood of North Portland

Hilary’s Austin Griffith Manzanita flowers in St Johns neighborhood of North Portland and is a fully drought tolerant plant. Photo by Hilary Hutler

Manzanita ‘Austin Griffiths’- for it’s beautiful and sinuous multi stem shape, attractive bark and late winter flowers.

Drought Tolerant Grevillea shrub in North Portland

Drought Tolerant Grevillea shrub flowering in Hilary’s garden in St. Johns neighborhood of North Portland

Grevillea- This small tree/shrub is best known for the hummingbird show it puts on along with bright tropical looking flowers.

These are just a few of the many drought tolerant plants that can help you create an attractive and visually exciting, low-water landscape.

Special Care for Drought Tolerant Plantings in Portland, Oregon

Most drought tolerant plants must be planted in soil that is well draining.  You can still plant them in our native clay soils but not in a low spot.  Some of the drought tolerant evergreens like Arctostaphylos (Manzanita) and Grevillea need special neglect in order to thrive.  Never fertilize these plants even when you are planting them.  Add no composts or mulches to the soil at planting.  Plant them in the native soil whenever possible. To read more about how to care for Arctostaphylos and Grevillea at the Xera Website.

In Part 2 of this blog series, I will share more of our favorite drought tolerant plants and give you tips on how to properly care for them. Stay tuned for more!

Contact us

Do you want to have a landscape that uses less water and embraces plantings that support pollinators and gives your landscape a new up to date style?  We are uber practical but also will release our plant nerd side when that is a benefit to our clients who enjoy plants and want to have an interesting and successful drought tolerant landscape.

Contact us.  We would love to work with your landscape wish list and give you a landscape to enjoy throughout the upcoming years which are probably going to be hotter and dryer than we would all prefer.

 

 

Categories : Dramatic Flowers, Drought Tolerant Garden, Garden Tips, Gardening Green, New Improved Plants, No lawn back yard, No Lawn Front Yards, Plants I Recommend
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Tricky Outdoor Living Landscape Design for Portland Backyard: Part 1 of 2

Posted by Carol 
· February 21, 2023 

Making The Best Use of Small Portland Backyard for Outdoor Living

Challenging Portland landscape design for outdoor living.

Room for a little lawn for the pups, an office and entertaining area will be a challenge in Portland corner lot.

My client Stacy needed privacy and a complete re design of the back yard of her 1940’s home.  She has an especially tricky corner lot.  They often have a much smaller back yard especially when the house faces one street and the driveway and garage are around the corner.

Where will the new office go?

There are some difficult and very important ways I needed to help Stacy make this new home work for her.  It wasn’t just having a nice back yard that was at stake.  She needed to add a 12’ x 10’ office to her back yard for her new job as the house was not big enough to accommodate working from home.

Small Portland lot needed a lot of landscape design for outdoor living spaces.

Not enough room for entertaining with friends in this tricky city corner lot-NE Portland

Not Enough Outdoor Living Space

Her past outdoor lifestyle had lots of outdoor entertaining with 10 to 15 friends over. It would be pretty sad to tell half the friends they were not invited to her next July party.  Her dream back yard needed to have a dining table for 6 and a large sectional sofa.

Protect the large Shade Tree from construction

The back yard had significant privacy issues on two sides, a magnificent (over the top amazing) 25’ tall mature Japanese maple and the strangest drainage system for her garage roof I have ever seen in my life.

Landscape design concept drawing for outdoor living spaces of Portland corner lot.

Concept drawing #3 of 7 – My client and I are looking for the best possible layout of the landscape to accomplish our goals. Sometimes 3 concept drawings isn’t enough. This one was better at accomplishing our goals, but not the winner.

She needed a designer to create multiple landscape layouts to find a design that would make the best use of her space and give her as much of her hearts desires as possible.  The word possible is important.  And there were many many different or slightly different layout designs created to find the best one for this tough city back yard.

Beloved Wood Table

I had created several drawings prior to our first on site appointment so I already suspected the bad news but ever the optimist I worked on site with Stacy for 2 hours before making the first cut in her wish list.

The challenge I hit right away was how to keep Stacy’s large beloved wood table she and friends had built.  It was a beautiful piece of handcrafted furniture and the table she had special dinners with friends for many years. It was very important to her.

We worked together at her kitchen table which is a typical way I like to work with my clients. Stacy will tell you the first thing she learned was that she didn’t have enough room to keep her beloved outdoor table that she and friends had built.  It was simply too big.

Challenging Portland landscape design for outdoor living included large table and sitting area on client's wish list.Seeing me work and re work the concept drawings right before her eyes helped her let go and open up to the next steps and that was a good thing.  In short letting go of her lovely table was important because it could not be done without giving up either the office or the sectional sofa lounging area. As Sherlock would say, “When you have eliminated all which is impossible then whatever remains, however improbable must be the truth.”  Sherlock Holmes aka Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Typically I do not design an entire back yard around a piece of furniture- it doesn’t serve my clients best interests but this loved table was well worth the time we took. Our design works well with a typical sized table but not an oversized one.

Locating the New Office

The next big challenge would be placing the new office.  Stacy had picked a spot for the office and in the end we placed the office in that corner of the back yard.  We had the size and shape of the new office but we also needed the location of  all doors and windows before we can start.  Another big issue to carefully consider was how the studio foundation would affect the health of the magnificent huge shade providing Japanese maple.

My next blog will share how we worked with placing the office.

Client Testimonial

“Carol did a fantastic job designing our very difficult back yard space and worked in just about all our asks.  She was easy to work with, and I greatly enjoyed the format and how she got to know my preferences for this or that.  I’ll be asking her to do a plan for my front yard once the back is done!”

Contact me

Tricky corner lot?  Not enough room for all your outdoor living needs and wants?  Contact us.  We love the challenge and the satisfaction that comes with finding solutions for outdoor living in small or tricky city backyards.  With my experienced designers eye we will find possibilities even with what seems like impossible scenarios.   I’ll tell you what you can have and also what doesn’t work after carefully applying my years of experience and creativity to your situation.

 

Categories : Accessory Dwelling Unit ADU, Customer Testimonials, Garden Tips, outdoor living
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Portland Landcape Designer Shares Her Favorite Paths & Patios

Posted by Carol 
· December 6, 2022 

Best Hardscape Landscaping Materials for Portland Backyards

Crushed rock landscaping material for paths & friendly chickens!

NE Portland backyard path with crushed rock and pet chickens.

Here are some of my favorite backyard paths and patios from landscape designs here in Portland!

Paths are a key element in any landscape design.  How we walk and move in a landscape is what shapes the design.  Selecting the best materials for these surfaces for function and style, makes the design come alive.

Crushed Rock is a Versatile Surface

Crushed rock fits modern and naturalistic landscape styles and is significantly more affordable than poured concrete or pavers.

It lends a soft and natural look to a NW Natural backyard landscape.  However crushed rock when crisply defined by steel edging is perfect for a modern or minimalist landscape too.

Water permeable crushed rock surfaces for your paths will allow water to find its way down into the earth instead of running off into the street and sewer.

Crushed rock is also the perfect material for a natural style garden.

Crushed rock in Woodlawn Neighborhood fits the naturalistic style of the garden.

Compacted crushed rock surfaces do not allow rainwater to filter through to the earth.  With professional grading the winter rain water can be directed away from the house and/or into a catch basin or other mechanical means of collecting water.  A licensed landscape contractor is qualified to create systems to manage winter rain water.

 

Colors of Crushed Rock

Irvington Neighborhood of NE Portland hardscape landscaping decomposed granite pathway matches the rock step.

Stone step color matches the decomposed granite crushed rock in the pathway.

Decomposed granite – the names of the colors change with each stone yard which is sure confusing but here in these photos you are looking at a soft gold tan or a cream rose color.  My clients like the look and I agree it adds visual elegance to the landscape design.  I prefer the cream rose color over the gold typically.

I’m also perfectly happy with the dark gray of locally sourced basalt.  Gray looks so good with the greens, limes and golds of plant foliage and it’s more affordable than the decomposed granite.

Crushed rock was picked to compliment this backyard patio.

Irvington neighborhood backyard patio and path materials blend beautifully.

The Cons of using Decomposed Granite

After a few years you will need to top up your patio surface because it has gotten thin, and  the color you installed may not be available.  Rock is different colors from different areas or even within the same mountain.

Granite is not local and is trucked from the east coast.  This uses a lot of fossil fuels.  We have a locally sourced attractive basalt rock here in Oregon which is gray and harder than the decomposed granite.  It won’t need to be topped up as often and doesn’t cost such a high price on the environment.

Granite is significantly more expensive then local basalt.

Using crushed rock for a drought tolerant garden top dressing.

Crushed rock acts as a top dressing for this drought tolerant garden in N Portland.

Top Dress Planting Beds with Crushed Rock for Drought Tolerant Plantings

Crushed rock can also be used as an attractive mulch for drought tolerant plantings.  This garden in N Portland shows crushed rock all around these heat and drought tolerant plantings.  Using the crushed rock as mulch on these slightly bermed planting beds helps protect the plants from our heavy winter rain.  The rain rolls off the crown of the plants roots in the winter and adds needed oxygen to the soil.  Here are narrow evergreen Italian Cypress’ Tiny Towers’ with 2 different varieties of California lilac, fountain grass and sedums for this hot south facing bermed garden.

Crushed Rock Can be the Stair Riser

Crushed rock landscaping material is great for a modern backyard path & steps.

Modern Landscape Style Entry in Kenton Neighborhood of N Portland.

Sadly, pea gravel is sometimes used for a path, patio or even as the top dressing for a planting bed but never in my designs.  It is not crushed or angled, it is round and does not stay put.  It will go all over your yard, out into the street and can actually roll under your feet as you walk and cause falls. Pea gravel makes an unsafe surface for a stair tread.  It has a softer visual look and people fall for its’ quiet beauty and then later deeply regret using it.

Contact Us

Are you considering a new landscape with paths, sitting areas, patios or firepits?  Contact us, we know how to shape your backyard paths and patio to make everything flow with the best use of space.  Let’s pick the materials that will best fit your preferred landscape style.

Hardscape landscape design in Portland Oregon, uses drought-resistant low maintenance crushed stone with in the front yard.

Drought tolerant Portland landscape design example. This front yard shown in winter is gravel, stone and plants.

Categories : Design Basics, Drought Tolerant Garden, Garden Tips, Landscape Styles, Low Maintenance Landscape Examples, No lawn back yard, Winter Gardening
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Covered Outdoor Living for Baby Boomers in NE Portland Backyards

Posted by Carol 
· October 15, 2022 
Covered outdoor living landscape design

Covered outdoor area in Rose City Park backyard protects from  sun, rain and walnuts.

Landscaping Outdoor Living in Portland’s Urban NE Neighborhoods

Backyard Outdoor Living in Portland’s Urban NE Neighborhoods often requires a covered area.  While backyard outdoor living conjures up visions of  intimate gatherings with close friends and family sometimes only a covered area will offer any privacy from a 3 story apartment building next door.  A small urban home may not have enough entertaining space indoors and some clients use a covered outdoor space for an extra office or a place for messy arts and crafts projects.  Finding ways to create overhead cover is an important tool for my designs since I often work  in urban neighborhoods.

Rain proof outdoor living’s best benefit in my opinion is leaving the cushions in place for easy use 9 months of the year.  When the rain is pelting us from the south in the winter few people will enjoy being outside and the rain will come in under the cover typically and soak the cushions anyway.  But a gentle rain in the late spring or early fall can easily be thwarted.  If I can use my furniture without having to go fetch the cushions, or peel off a plastic cover….. if it is just waiting for me to use…guess what ?  I use the sitting area so much more.

Here are 5 Portland backyard landscape designs that use overhead cover for outdoor living.

Rose City Park Backyard

My client Anna wanted a cool shady sitting area to read in her landscape.  We called it the book nook.  Her cover has a traditional tile roof with enough angle to keep dry in a light rain but the most important aspect of the cover for Anna is to protect her from walnuts dropping from her neighbors gorgeous huge walnut tree.  She loves the tree for it’s shade, and  for attracting wildlife.  Her covered outdoor area is designed for 2 people and is mostly for Anna’s use.

Design tip: A translucent cover would have gotten stained and looked filthy in one season because of the debris from the walnut tree.  Translucent covers under some trees are doable here in Portland but one needs to go into it knowing there will be regular maintenance needed to keep the cover attractive and not a visual detriment, (and not under a walnut tree).

Covered outdoor living landscape design includes motorized louvers

Covered outdoor dining in Creston neighborhood has motorized louvers to let the sun in or keep the rain out.

Creston Neighborhood Family Covered Dining Deck

My clients in the Creston neighborhood wanted the option of sun or shade plus rain protection so their furniture would stay dry. Their pergola by Cardinal Aluminum is steel posts and supports but the motorized louvers in the pergola are aluminum.  The louvers give them the choice of sun or shade.  I have several clients who have gone with Cardinal and been quite happy with the results. Given the cost of wood this no wood option is now seen as more affordable than in the past.

 

Covered outdoor living landscape design includes transparent roof.

“We all love the new space and have basically been living out there every time the weather is even a bit decent.” Clients in Richmond neighborhood

Richmond Backyard Year Round Outdoor Living

These clients  in Richmond neighborhood wanted it all.  After working with Landscape Design in a Day they have a heated covered patio with a translucent cover.  They wanted a comfy sofa under the cover and have a table up on the deck near the house.  Our client Emma says this.  “The summary is that we all LOVE the new space and have basically been living out there every time the weather is even a bit decent. We’ve been using the whole backyard too — before the redo the back part of the yard was kind of dead zone (except for the veggie beds) but now we find ourselves out there almost every afternoon, not just puttering in the veggies but sitting out on the little patio or kicking a ball around with our toddler.”

They have overhead heat (electric) for primary use and in the colder months they also use their tower heater which can be moved about.  They can leave their furniture outside year round.  The cover structure is steel posts with a wood structure for the translucent overhead cover.  This photo was taken in late spring so they still have their second heater out in the patio.    Most of the heat is electric so it has less of a carbon footprint than a natural gas firepit or propane or wood burning.  Design by Alana Chau, Landscape Design in a Day

Design Tip: Angle the cover to protect from south or SW sun to create a cooler summer retreat and help protect your cover for possible winter snow load.

 

Large covered outdoor living landscape for dining.

Outdoor living for these Mt. Tabor clients includes two barbeques and covered dining.

Large covered outdoor living patio designMount Tabor Backyard Transformed into Year Round Outdoor Living

My clients in Mount Tabor also wanted the entire backyard turned into outdoor living space.  Their wood pergola structure has a translucent cover.  They especially love the drama added by lighting the top of the cover.  The light is very soft and diffused coming through the semi opaque cover.  They have room for cooking, counter and storage space.  The posts for the cover are set into the property 5’.

Design Tip:  We used the corner of the property to gain the most useful square footage and space.

 

Heated covered outdoor living landscape design.

Here’s where I get my massage and body work done. This lovely covered area provides heat and protection from rain.

Outdoor Office in SW Portland

This is my massage practitioners heated outdoor treatment room in her SW Portland back yard.  This was her response to keeping her clients and herself safe when Covid came into our lives. As her patient I love hearing the birds, including the buzz of hummingbirds and the squirrel scolding while getting my treatment.  No music required.  I have  been treated out here even in November and December.  The powerful electric heat in the top of the arbor is directed down by the shape of the cover.  The shape also keeps the rain out except when it is too windy.  I’m very comfortable and I love listening to the birds while I’m getting a massage.  This structure is wood with a translucent cover.

Deluxe umbrella for covered outdoor living landscape design.

Concordia neighborhood backyard outdoor living gets a deluxe umbrella to create shade for dining.

Concordia Backyard  Patio gets Cover with an Offset Umbrella

My clients Ryan and Sam live in a very urban area of NE Portland with a pub next door that has outdoor dining.  This landscape design in particular was a very collaborative process, even more so than usual.  We had a new back porch in the design but the expense (wood is so expensive these days) blew our budget.   We kept the old porch and steps and together created this outdoor room that is such a perfect fit.  It distracts from the next door pub garden, creates privacy, integrates the other two important areas of the backyard beautifully and is highly useable.  A collaborative relationship with clients and installer always opens the door for new and even better fitting ideas.

Design Tip:  Using an off set or cantilevered umbrella creates a physically and visually spacious dining area.  An umbrella with post in the center of the table often makes a dining area feel small and blocks potentially good views, in this case the steel privacy panels (which add so much pizzazz to the space) would have been greatly diminished.

Contact us

Looking for an outdoor landscape design that can create solutions for your city property with all its challenges? Contact us.  We have the experience to know what is doable and the creativity to find the best design for you and your wish list.

Categories : Customer Testimonials, Design Basics, Landscape Styles, No lawn back yard, Privacy, Shade Garden Tips
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