Steel planters with yucca, heather and succulents create year round color with a modern twist.

Hardscape Is A Great Addition To Your Landscaping

I use large built in planters to solve a variety of landscape problems and here are some of my favorites.

This front yard planter is about creating privacy for the living room window.  Their Willamette Heights house is 12 feet from the public sidewalk and they live near a park so there’s lots of foot traffic.  Juniper Communis ‘Gold Cone’, semi dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea Quercifolia, ‘Sykes Dwarf’, California lilac ‘Concha’ (Ceanothus) purchased as a tree form at Kinens Big Phat Plants. This is a specialty wholesale only grower who shapes his plants beautifully before selling which is why I love to purchase a focal point plant such as the California Lilac tree from him.

Grant Park Side Yard Privacy Planter – Anderson

This planter gets a privacy boost with an arbor which creates a visual barrier between the neighbors’ utility side yard and my client’s driveway.  The kids play in the driveway and the adults use the planter for edibles so this area has become an important part of their yard. It also adds dramatic curb appeal to the entry.  Read more

Raleigh Hills NW Natural Backyard – The Coles

Here we use green peeled logs to make a raised beds/planter.  We wanted raised beds so the plants would be safe from the dogs (two very smart and active standard poodles) who fly through paths.  I chose the peeled logs because they fit into the woodsy Northwest natural setting of this property. I also had the specialty cedar chips laid at 6″ deep.  It’s too shady for lawn and other medium encourages fleas and doesn’t last.  It’s the perfect dog friendly solution for a shady back yard. The plants pictured are native Sword Fern and Hardy Geranium, Geranium Macrorrhizum ‘Mrs. Ingwersen’ also have a woodsy look.

NE Portland Entry Landscape Design for Alameda corner lot

Michaels planter – this stone planter gives us the opportunity to jazz up the curb appeal of this bungalow in NE Portland.  It’s about creating a dramatic and colorful entry experience and visually softening the foundation below the front porch. Helianthemun ‘Henfield Brilliant’ billows over the cap of the planter.

Beaverton Condominium Patio – Knight

Here is a very modern patio and it would be nothing without these planters.  We chose planters rather than at grade planting beds because of ginormous tree roots that invaded all the planting beds.  There was no room to even dig holes for new plantings.  Gardening will be easier for my client who is approaching an age where bending down to tend the ground is a less attractive idea. Read more.

Tiny urban courtyard needed privacy-planters with small trees will provide it. See barely visible new vine maple trunk in center of planter.

 The Tiny Urban Courtyard Needs Privacy

My client’s 1909 house in Buckman Neighborhood fills most of his 36’ by 100’ lot. My mission?  Transform his tiny narrow utilitarian “yard” into a private sanctuary for relaxing outside.  His new planters create enough soil space to plant small screening trees that will provide privacy and ambiance for being outside in the summer.  The small trees (Acer Circinatum ‘Pacific Fire’) will be easier to walk around and easier to care for up the in planters. Read more

NE Portland home needs privacy on narrow side yard

These clear cedar wood planters are 30″ tall and 4′ wide to house a large clump of my favorite screening plant for city properties.  The plant is a clumping bamboo called Fargesia robusta ‘Campbell’ and the custom planters are beautifully crafted by Victor Vincelli, who worked with the design installer Donna Burdick of D and J Landscape Contracting.   He also built a perfect fire pit cover that acts as a table.  I’ll add a link here so you can see the final results in 2021.

Donna Burdick of D and J Landscape Contracting sits on large custom privacy planter for clumping bamboo

If you are interested in how hardscape landscaping can be added to your garden, contact me for more information!