How to use boulders in your landscaping design? Portland landscape designer, Ben Bowen, shares his tips in this article originally on Landscaping Network.

A sustainable landscape is environmentally friendly. But it's more than that. It should be designed to improve with age. If you are unhappy with your garden in 5 years, and want to rip it out, that is not sustainable! 

Here are the key elements that Ross NW Watergardens' landscape designer (me) considers when planning a sustainable garden: 

See how Ross NW Watergardens took a sloping and tired landscape and created a beautiful front yard. Walls, screens, plantings and a rain garden have all taken shape in this Gresham landscape. Check out the before and after pics to see...

​Most of us are drawn to a deal. If three companies all promise to provide the same landscape service, why not just hire the cheapest?​ At times that might be the right decision, but not always.

​You live in Portland. Or Lake Oswego. Or Happy Valley (you get the point). When should you aerate your lawn?

Some companies push aeration in the winter or early spring. This is a great time to aerate- if you are a landscape company.

Most landscapers can keep their customers happy on a good day. But what happens when a project goes sideways?

There are a couple common ways of responding:

Rainwater management in Portland Oregon is a big deal. How can you capture rain from your property and landscape and then manage or even utilize it? This rainwater management guide from Ross NW Watergardens will help you understand.

Here at Ross NW Watergardens we love natural stone. Our landscape designs are full of it. Patios, fire features, water features, paths, walls, and columns all are best when real stone is used. Boulder groupings are a trademark element of our gardens.

But where does all this stone come from? Where do we buy our boulders, slate, and stepping stones? Here are 4 great stone yards we use:

KGW interviewed me for a story on Portland's home improvement market. We discussed how both the housing boom and weather play a role. 

This is the first guest post we have ever accepted on our landscaping blog. My sister Holly, and her husband Sean, live in NY. When work took them to Japan in February they go the chance to see real Japanese gardens. My sister came back with a love of them she didn't have before. Read on for her thoughts, and a bunch of great pictures!