My Top Portland Landscape Designers & Landscape Architects (Updated for 2024)
Here at Ross NW Watergardens we specialize in modern landscape design-build projects with an emphasis on the use of natural stone and water.
Our portfolio is full of beautiful gardens, and our clients really like us, but we know we are not the best fit for every client or project. Sometimes we are booked out 9-12 months and that may not work for your schedule. Fortunately there are a bunch of talented landscape architects and designers here in Portland.
So, if you don't work with us, who should you consider?
Ross NW Watergardens’ Recommended Landscape Designers
Lynn Wolfstone of Wolfstone Landscape Design is a quintessential garden designer. She has encyclopedic plant knowledge and will be absolutely dedicated to making your garden as beautiful as it can be. She also happens to be a joy to work with :-) You can see one of her designs, installed by Ross NW Watergardens, here in our portfolio.
Kira Iwasaki of Habitat Landscape Design brings a family history in the nursery trade and training in interior design together, giving her a breadth of experience that is unique. Kira and Lynn collaborated with Sadafumi Uchiyama, MCM Construction, and Ross NW Watergardens on this large project.
Nate Dodge of ND Design Services is a great choice for someone looking for an online design process.
Me. When we are busy you may have to wait, but I will work hard to make it worth it!
BONUS: Sadafumi Uchiyama is Curator Emeritus of the Portland Japanese Garden. If your project is truly special, and your budget…. generous, then you should contact Sada. He is one of the most respected designers in the United States and will create something that will last for you and your property. If this sounds like you and your project them I am sure you can find his contact info.
Want even more options? Check the comprehensive list below. But first, some pictures from our portfolio of Portland area landscape design and build projects!
Other Portland Area Landscape Designers and Architects from Ross NW Watergardens
For more information on landscape designers in the Portland area visit the Association of NW Landscape Designer's website.
Or just scroll down and see my full list.
Are you a Portland based landscape designer or architect who would like to be added to the list? Just leave a comment at the bottom!
Alana Chau Landscape Design
503-927-3279
ANNIEBAM Landscape Solutions
503-807-9178
Anniescapes
503-884-3216
Jean Aalseth
503-771.2537
Patricia Acheff
Visionscapes NW Landscape Design
503-320-8427
Lisa Annand
Verdant Garden Northwest
503-679-5850
Jenna Bayer Garden Design, Inc.
503-468-2103
Adriana Berry
Plant Passion Design LLC
Blueprint Earth
503-88200939
Debbie Brooks
Creative Garden Spaces
503-519-5737
Bonnie Bruce
Celilo Gardens
Creative Garden Spaces
503-519-5737
Creekscape Design
503-572-5589
Darcy Daniels
Bloomtown Gardens
503-331-1783
Teresa Dennis
Teresa Dennis Garden Design
503-655-7226
Design With Nature
503-453-0448
Eden’s Gate Landscape Design
503-858-2575
Fruition Group
503-836-2554
Garden Diva Designs
503-381-0261
Gardens by Jeffrey Bale
503-847-1300
The Green Seed
503-490-6340
greengreen landscape studio
503-893-8385
Linda Hannan
Hannan Garden Design
503-314-7312
Bruce Hegna
Nature/Nurture Landscape Design
503-957-7347
Matthew Holt
Grasstains LLC.
503-515-4842
Jen Harrison
503-442-5291
Jan Main Design
503-807-1219
Bob Hyland
Hyland Garden Design LLC
518-929-0699
Jacque Robinson Garden Design
503-223-8584
Kahoots Design
503-915-7022
Annie Kirk
Red Bird Design
503-887-3439
Alyse Lansing
Alyse Lansing Garden Design
503-543-7129
Laura Canfield Landscape Design
202-415-5385
L Meyer Design
503-705-5511
Maplewood Design
503-442-3216
Lisa Meddin
Harmony Design NW
Vanessa Howard Morgan
Wild Order Landscape Design
503-442-1279
Native Plantscapes NW
971-226-4308
Kip Nordstrom
Kip Nordstrom Design LLC
503-636-6840
Bondi Nyary
Bondi Garden & Design
503-756-9025
Optic Verve LLC
503-704-9869
Patty Freeman Design
503-442-5173
Peach Landscape Design
503-422-3335
Pistils Landscape Design + Build
503-444-7192
Purpose Landscape Design
503-929-9317
Rachel Adams Landscape Design
360-510-3144
Red Ant Green Gardens
323-474-7671
Rejuvenation Artisans Landscapes
503-459-9541
Regenerate Garden Design
503-358-3459
Radish Gardens
503-998-6182
River City Gardens
503-293-6114
RiverLine Landscape Design
503-440-8076
Sage Landscapes
503-908-3210
Stone Water Tree
503-331-7404
The White Pear LLC, Design & Build
503-831-9914
Phil Thornburg
Winterbloom, Inc.
503-598-0219
Marina Wynton
OLIVINE Land, LLC
503-944-9765
Helena Wagner
4 Season Gardens, LLC
503-698-4612
Wagner Design Group
503-975-9244
Portland Area Landscape Architects
For more information about landscape architects in Portland visit the website for the Oregon Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Landscape Designs On a Budget
Need a simple design on a budget? Here are a couple good resources for Portland homeowners:
Hire a landscape design student from PCC. How much will it cost you? I have no idea, but please leave a comment below if you have experience with this program!
Portland's Best Landscape Contractors! (updated for 2022)
Our Favorite Nurseries and Landscape Supply Locations
Deck and Fence Companies We Trust
Should you even hire a landscape designer?
You know you want a new landscape, and maybe you have a few ideas. But where to start? Should you work with a landscape designer? And what should you look for in a designer?
The benefits of choosing a landscape designer are many. A designer can work with you to find creative solutions to your property's challenges. They usually have a large reserve of ideas and creativity to draw on. If you want a truly unique and custom landscape- then a landscape designer is a great place to start.
When the design is completed you know have something that you can hand to any landscape contractor and be confident in the results. Having the completed design also allows you to do the project in phases, even over the course of several years, and end up with a harmonious landscape.
Most designers can also be your representative on the job site, ensuring the landscape reality matches your vision. If you don't have the time to manage the project yourself that can be a great benefit.
Is there a downside to choosing a landscape designer?
Sometimes. Creative solutions may be practical.... or they might not be. Some designers have very little experience actually building landscapes and are more prone to this. If you choose your designer wisely, this should not be an issue though.
Cost has to be considered. It will be at least $500 and up to $2500+ to have a design done for a 5000-7000 square foot lot. Is this a good investment? If your project involves many elements, a large area, difficult slopes, or needs to be completed in phases then the cost should not scare you.
In general, I have seen that landscapes involving designers cost more. Why? It goes back to those "creative solutions". Often the designer has something in mind that your contractor has little experience with. This adds uncertainty to the project for him- and the price rises.
There is a simple solution to the danger of a designer destroying your budget. Always make budget a core part of the design from the first meeting. If you have a landscape designer get started without giving them a budget get ready for sticker shock!
Creative solutions do not have to be expensive!
Finding the right designer for your garden.
What should you look for?
Flexibility. A portfolio with landscapes in a variety of styles.
Simplicity. It takes a high degree of skill to design a garden with subtlety.
Approachability. Look for a smiling head shot and down to earth descriptions- a person you can see yourself working with!
Should you hire a landscape designer?
Maybe. Weigh the options, consider the cost. If you do work with a designer, choose well and you will never be disappointed.
Online Landscape Designers:
Tilly Design
Yardzen
Bacqyard
ShrubHub
GetASitePlan.com
My Review of Online Landscape Designers
How To Choose The Right Landscape Designer:
It's that time of year... Homeowners all over Portland are starting to eye spring and summer projects. On the to-do list? Finally get the back yard right.
Now all you have to do is find the right landscape designer for your project. How do you do that?
It can be difficult to find a designer that will get your project off on the right foot. And choosing the wrong one can result in another wasted year for your yard. Why can it be so difficult to find a good landscape designer?
There are so many good landscape designers around here. But each designer has his or her own way of working and distinct style. Spending some time with their portfolio and/or blog should help you figure that out. Reading reviews, specifically to discern an affinity (or lack thereof) between you and their typical client, helps too.
Here is where it gets interesting though: some designers work alone while others work for large or small design-build firms.
The structure of a designer's business or employer matters. And most homeowners don't realize this. Here is what you need to know:
Solo designers are independent, which can be great. They should have no agenda other than getting you the perfect design. But (and this is a big but) your landscape will only be as good as the installation. And many designers can't help with that. They may have a referral to make, but they have very little control over the landscape you actually get.
Designers with a small design-build firm can take you from start to finish. However, they may not work with as many styles, materials, or methods as an independent designer. And they (naturally) keep their installation team's strengths in mind as they design.
Designers with a large design-build firm can also take you from design through construction of your landscape. Because they have a large team they can probably do just about anything you are looking for. However, your design will most likely be a team effort- which can mean it is less creative, not as special, as a design produced through just a single designer.
So, who should you hire as a designer? An independent one? A designer with a small firm? Or should enlist the design team of one of the big boys?
If you are going to install the landscape yourself, or split it into many little phases go with an independent designer.
But if you prefer to work with one person from start to finish and desire something with real personality- find a smaller firm (like Ross NW Watergardens).
If your desires for the landscape are more general then a larger company can produce a nice design faster than either of the options above.
The main point: To choose a designer consider the portfolio, blog, reviews and the size/structure of the company you are hiring. Do this and your chances of making a great choice are very high!
Does The Pacific Northwest Have A Landscape Design “Style”?
Japanese garden. English garden. Persian garden. Each one immediately brings a picture to your mind, perhaps of a specific garden you have seen or, more likely, of certain features associated the style or place.
How about “Portland garden” or “PNW garden”? Do you get a distinct picture in your mind?
I don’t and I am guessing you don’t either. And while I am not a historian (or a scholar of anything) I can think of a few reasons for this:
Time. Garden styles that are strongly associated with a certain regions usually have histories that stretch back farther than the Oregon does. Oregon’s oldest rose garden, for example, is at Peninsula Park in Portland. It was built in 1909. In Japan you can tour gardens that were initially built in the 13th century!
Weather. Our weather is awesome for plants. This is a good thing for our gardens, but it means our plantings are incredibly diverse. A more limited palette would contribute to a distinctive style.
Culture. We love our outdoor spaces, but don’t (in general) value gardens with the same reverence as some other cultures. And in a parallel to our food culture, we are “ingredient” oriented rather than “technique” oriented. Distinctive styles don’t rely on specific plant varieties or types of stones- they do hinge on how the chosen materials are used.
I am sure other explanations could be given by designers with more perspective than I have. If you have other thoughts I would love to hear them in the comments.
But just because the Pacific Northwest doesn’t have a dominant landscape design style does not mean there aren’t certain elements or features that often characterize our gardens. For example, traditional Portland landscapes often have:
Certain plants. Rhododendrons, azaleas, ferns, hydrangeas, and roses have anchored gardens from SW Vista to the suburbs for over 100 years. Walking through most nurseries today would indicate they continue to be core plant selections for many.
A connection with Japan. Japanese gardens are not uncommon in Portland. Japanese inspired gardens are on almost every street. Japanese maples are ubiquitous (the City has taken them off the recommended street tree list because we have so many), as are paths, structures, and screens that pull influence from Japan.
Rustic stonework. While we don’t have nearly as much true stone masonry as the NE (this is why), we do find boulders, stepping stones, dry creeks and rustic walls all over the place. Most of this stone comes from the gorge, meaning the look is consistent across our region.
Portland landscape design has been evolving rapidly in the last 10-15 years and a new “traditional” landscape style seems to be emerging. A large share of my Portland area designs incorporate these traits:
Native or drought tolerant plants. My clients still care about how a plant looks, but prioritize plants that “belong” here or that perform like they belong here.
Gardens that are calm and quiet. Life is stressful and noisy. We want gardens that encourage us to exhale and relax. For some of my clients this means clean lines and limited plant varieties. For others it is dense plantings to hide the outside world and a water feature to push back the noise. Japanese inspired concepts continue to be popular in these serene retreats.
Low maintenance. Many of us spend very little time in our gardens. When we do head out into the garden we prefer to enjoy it rather than care for it. This leads to more hardscape, fewer plants, and often no lawn.
Are there other garden trends out there? Certainly, these are just the ones I see as most influential here in the Pacific Northwest.
I don’t think Portland has a distinctive landscape design style. But I do think Portland has many special public and private gardens. And I think it is exciting to work in a place where a great garden can go almost any direction!
H/T to Noah Guadagni with Perennial Patterns Design. I stumbled across his thesis, which got me thinking about this subject.