For 9 days in January you can get free admission to the excellent Lan Su Chinese Garden. 

If you have never been to the Chinese Garden you are missing out! The garden is small, but every square inch is covered with intricate beauty.

For more on the Chinese Garden's Nine Free Days check out the full post.

The Backyard Habitat program is growing!

This is good news for all the animals we share our neighborhoods with.

The program is already in Portland and Lake Oswego. I see the little "Backyard Habitat" signs all over my neighborhood in NE PDX. It's not surprising to see this great initiative growing.

Now Gresham and Fairview landscapes can be certified too.

Here at Ross NW Watergardens we love stone. Mica slate, river rock, Mexican pebbles, gravel, decomposed granite, basalt... and probably some other ones I am forgetting. 

Bluestone, however, has a special place in our hearts.

We don't use it the most often and it's not right for every landscape design client. But when we do utilize bluestone it's fantastic.

I am sure it was a beautiful garden at one time. But over the years it had really suffered. Plants had been sheared into balls. The water feature had been taken apart and put back together badly. Random plants had sprouted in odd places. Trees had been mangled by storms.

Could this mature landscape be saved? Perhaps even be restored to something better? Check out the first batch of pictures from phase 1 of this large renovation!

Portland is a town full of wonderful outdoor spaces- and Landscape Architects have played a major role in that.

Apparently it's not just Portlanders who recognize this. The American Society of Landscape Architects has published an interactive guide to the city of Portland. It's well done and a nice recognition of what our outdoor spaces have to offer.

I recently wrote about the advantages of working with a landscape design/build contractor, like Ross NW Watergardens.

And while I believe in the model, I recognize that it has some drawbacks. Working with a landscape designer can ensure continuity, flexibility, and space. What does that mean? Read on to find out!

"Kid friendly landscaping" is a landscape design style or attitude that your family will love.

During the summer, when Portland's weather is sublime, your kids will want to be out in the yard exploring and enjoying. A landscape can be both kid friendly and beautiful- really, it can!

What are key elements of kid friendly landscapes?

This garden, in SW Portland, is a beautiful example of small garden design. I wish I could say that I had designed it- but the designer is Mike Ellena of Ellena Gardens.

This narrow courtyard now houses a Japanese garden. And while it has many elements, it does not seem busy- a product of great design and a skillful installation.

All great landscape designs hinge on one really great idea. Finding the inspiration for that idea can be difficult at times. Where does inspiration come from?

Here are 5 places that I find inspiration and ideas for landscape designs.