Month: March 2012
March 16, 2012
Directing the eye, giving the eye a place to rest
– these are phrases one might hear in an artist’s company, but did you know that a focal point is also important in landscape design? Every Portland or
Beaverton landscaper will agree that a focal point is a must-have in any design; landscape without a focal point, and your yard will be far less appealing overall.
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March 12, 2012
If you plan your landscape carefully, you can create a beautiful outdoor oasis to rival the output of any landscape design service. On the other hand, if you fail to plan, chances are you’ll need to call in a Portland or Lake Oswego landscaper for emergency landscape help.
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March 09, 2012
An emerald expanse of turf: It’s a key ingredient in the American dream, along with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids. However, many Americans bemoan the
landscaping maintenance grass requires. From regular mowing to consistent application of fertilizer, the all-American ground cover is certainly high-maintenance. Michael Pollan has gone so far as to describe his time behind a Toro mower as “Sisyphean.” He also points out that grass receives more pesticide and herbicide per acre than any crop. Finally, our lawns hog precious water. With these turf disadvantages in mind, many people are looking for ways to remove lawn care from their landscape maintenance to-do lists.
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March 05, 2012
The Dalai Lama riffed on a popular adage when he advised, “Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.” As any Portland or
Beaverton landscaper will tell you, this principle definitely applies to landscape design. If you begin with sound design rules as your foundation, it will be easy to create a beautiful, universally appealing garden – even if you decide to break a few of those rules in favor of your own creative preferences. Below, we name three basic design doctrines that can help you design your ideal outdoor space.
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Yes, each spring including leap year we begin to
notice our lawns thinning and in some areas just down-right disappearing. This year I am predicting a higher than average infestation in the Portland area than last year. Oregon had a wet fall, mild winter and some-what mild early spring. As we begin to see the turf thinning we can also note how the desirable grass is damaged or eaten by these nocturnal feeding larva, and yet the undesirable grasses are left untouched and growing well.
(more…)
An emerald expanse of turf: It’s a key ingredient in the American dream, along with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids. However, many Americans bemoan the landscaping maintenance grass requires. From regular mowing to consistent application of fertilizer, the all-American ground cover is certainly high-maintenance. Michael Pollan has gone so far as to describe his time behind a Toro mower as “Sisyphean.” He also points out that grass receives more pesticide and herbicide per acre than any crop. Finally, our lawns hog precious water. With these turf disadvantages in mind, many people are looking for ways to remove lawn care from their landscape maintenance to-do lists.
(more…)
The Dalai Lama riffed on a popular adage when he advised, “Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.” As any Portland or Beaverton landscaper will tell you, this principle definitely applies to landscape design. If you begin with sound design rules as your foundation, it will be easy to create a beautiful, universally appealing garden – even if you decide to break a few of those rules in favor of your own creative preferences. Below, we name three basic design doctrines that can help you design your ideal outdoor space.
(more…)
Yes, each spring including leap year we begin to notice our lawns thinning and in some areas just down-right disappearing. This year I am predicting a higher than average infestation in the Portland area than last year. Oregon had a wet fall, mild winter and some-what mild early spring. As we begin to see the turf thinning we can also note how the desirable grass is damaged or eaten by these nocturnal feeding larva, and yet the undesirable grasses are left untouched and growing well.
(more…)
