What does your fescue look like now? My clients with tall fescue sod from JB Sod have lawns that look like wet straw. Not good. I called JB Sod and asked them about it. Here is what is going on:

We have had a much colder winter that normal and fescue lawns have gone dormant. In fact the sod fields at JB are dormant too!

This garden was designed by Sadafumi Uchiyama and installed by us in 2008. We do the basic maintenance as well, with the excellent tree pruning by Mike Ellena.

I stopped by to make sure the garden had come through the ice and snow well. What a great garden this come to be. Even in winter it makes me smile!

Does snow hurt plants?

Not usually. The real danger posed by snow involves weight not cold. As the snow piles up on branches they can bend and then break. This is especially true with plants that are brittle to begin with. Most, if not all, of your plants should be just fine!

The Ideabook below shows concepts that can be used to design a modern landscape that is relatively low maintenance. Enjoy!

Even with our relatively short growing period there are many ways to integrate edible landscape elements into your yard and reap (literally) the rewards all year.

Here are 6 great ways to make your landscape more edible:

Portland is a city of hills and slopes. Many of our yards have major elevation changes. These provide a challenge, but also a great opportunity.

Retaining walls take your slope and make it usable- while keeping all that soil where it should be. What type of retaining wall is right for you and your landscape? Take a closer look at a few options and then contact Ross NW Watergardens for a free consultation!

People are thinking about the use of drought tolerant plants.  It's a trend that has been gaining steam for a number of years, but the weather in Portland this summer has accelerated it. Almost every client I have met with in the last 2-3 months has mentioned low-water use as a priority.

If you are looking for drought tolerant plant suggestions, you have come to the right place. My favorites are below. Let's all work together to create distinct gardens that are water-wise!

Almost every week, it seems, I meet with a potential landscaping client who is looking for something very specific- a low maintenance landscape. This is not a simple request. Why? Because, my friend, we live in Portland, OR.

Plants often surprise clients who are new to landscaping. Not how great they are (which is obvious), but how expensive they are!

Ross NW Watergardens has completed extensive landscape renovations during the winter.

These included water features, patios, retaining walls, irrigation systems, new plants, and more. Contemporary or modern landscapes often utilize large amounts of hardscape, making them great winter projects.

So yes, Landscaping in Portland can be completed year round, but here is what you need to know: