Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat Backyard

The challenge for this backyard was to design almost entirely with native plants, with an intentional focus on providing host plants and habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife. Water conservation and water flow was also a focus, with rain barrels installed to collect water from a roof gutter. When the rain barrels are full, water overflows to a sunken rain garden filled with sedges and checkermallow. This space will change substantially over the next ten years as multiple shade trees planted at only two feet high will establish and shade some of the afternoon sun currently shining on the space. As the shade trees develop, the more prairie-like native grasses and sun-loving perennials will be moved to make way for more shade tolerant woodland-edge native plantings. The end result is beautiful and functional, while also thriving with wild bees, butterflies, and birds.

Flowering Front Yard with Pathway

This front yard had some landscaping in place with flagstone and well-placed boulders, but it lacked movement and color and pizazz. With a client who loves colors, especially pinks and purples, we amped the flower quotient by ten in the design, carefully adding to the space so there would be a variety of flowering perennials throughout the year with a backbone of year-round grasses to knit the space together. We also thoughtfully selected an additional small, ornamental shade tree to enhance the view from the front-of-house windows and add privacy. The flagstone pathway was enhanced by adding black metal edging with cedar chips in a curved pathway around a ceramic pot to highlight and provide definition to the surrounding perennials. We included a mix of native and ornamental flowers to increase the habitat value for butterflies and wild bees.

Backyard Sanctuary and Front Yard Views

We created a backyard sanctuary for these lovely homeowners, with a variety of foliage colors and a mixture of soft colored flowers with pops of bright jewel-toned flowers selected for the plantings. The paver patio was designed for immersion into the plant setting and to highlight a stunning backdrop of long-established, mature conifers flowing deep into the back of the property. Vintage birdbaths and statutes already on the property were intentionally placed around the patio to enhance the old world vibe. In the front yard, a frame of flowering shrubs and small trees was planted on the outer edge of a reshaped lawn. A smaller perennial bed was designed for the front walkway to enhance the senses with a variety of flowering plants throughout the seasons.

Year-Round Interest Backyard

Flowering details throughout the year, privacy screening along the back fence that curves around a shaped lawn, defined pathways that draw you to walk around the full length of the yard. Thoughtfully placed specimen plants were added, including numerous bulbs to herald the end of winter and beginning of spring, and a mixture of evergreen and deciduous plant choices. These details fuel this plant lover's views from her home, beckoning her to walk outside and smell the flowers year-round in this Beaverton backyard.

Front Yard Makeover with Pollinator Meadow

Leaning on permaculture concepts, this sunny front yard is brimming with fruit trees and shrubs underplanted with a native-focused pollinator meadow and minimal watering needs. Drought-tolerant and edible flowers, herbs, and perennial vegetables brighten up the landscape, with runner beans scaling up arbors, treating hummingbirds to a nectar feast when in flower. Raised beds built out of sustainable restoration-juniper lumber fill out the sunny, south-facing yard for growing annual vegetables just outside the front door. A retaining wall with steps and deliberately placed pathways allow easy access to harvest and enjoy the bounty. Community connection is welcomed and encouraged with the retaining wall also providing a comfortable sit-spot for neighbors and passerby.

DIY Raised Bed and Pollinator Garden

Costs were reduced for this family's sunny backyard corner makeover by designing with a DIY mindset, knowing that the homeowners intended to do most of the installation work themselves. The trellises were designed using inexpensive, large-sized cattle fencing that was cut down to size and secured to the raised beds using bamboo stakes and hardware, the wooden raised vegetable beds were built from rot-resistant cedar planks, the pathways and gravel surrounding the raised beds were designed to flow with the existing ground contours to minimize the prep work needed. The placement of stepping pavers was designed so that vegetables and herbs could be accessed in bare feet at all times of the year. Herbs and flowering pollinator favorites are scattered throughout this corner of the garden.