Landscape designers at the Portland’s Yard, Garden Patio Show are digging deep to deliver solutions to challenges – think problematic site conditions such as slopes – and display inventive use of screens and plantings to create an oasis and, perhaps, a visual escape from neighbors.
Experts will also be showing how garden rooms can make small spaces look large and remind us that the simple act of hanging out among nature can help reduce stress.
What will your sanctuary look like?
Wander the Oregon Convention Center through Sunday to see seven showcase gardens as well as garden vignettes by members of the Association of Northwest Landscape Designers.There will also be an urban edible garden and Lora Price of Design With Nature in Portland will offer permaculture techniques for sustainable edible gardening.
You can also listen to the free presentations by gardening experts on urban farming and medicinal gardening to perfect plant combinations and fragrant flowers.
Linda Meyer of L Meyer Design was asked, as were the other experts, to use the show’s display space to show a solution to a challenge commonly encountered in residential properties. She chose to focus on dealing with problem slopes and small urban lots in hillside housing developments.
“There are wonderful things you can do to create a landscape with multiple levels and spaces for entertainment, comfort, livability,” says Meyer, who has been designing in the Portland area for eight years. “I find small landscapes very satisfying. Size appropriate plantings, multiple hardscape surfaces and a comfortable flow for the area are essential in creating a useable yard.”
In some cases, steep slopes need additional engineering, but a landscape designer or landscape contractor can assist in determining this, she says.
Elida Rivera, a landscape designer at All Oregon Landscaping , a design build firm in Sherwood that specializes in custom residential landscapes, has noticed that busy families continue to be interested in outdoor rooms that serve many hobbies and interests.
Her tips:
- A small space can live large when designed well using such elements as elevation, plant material and hardscape structure.
- With creativity and the right use of materials, an outdoor living space can be created on a budget.
“We are passionate about family, home and bringing outdoor living outside for our clients,” says Rivera. ”Time and time again our client’s have expressed how our projects have brought their families closer together.”
— Homes Gardens of the Northwest staff
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