North Portland Japanese Landscape- Before & After

North Portland Japanese Garden Design and Installation

I was contacted early spring of 2013 about an interesting project. The clients owned a home in North Portland's Overlook neighborhood, near Arbor Lodge Park. The home's exterior had recently been remodeled, now it was time for landscaping.

One of the homeowners spends quite a bit of time Japan. She had acquired a love of Japanese Gardens. However, she was well aware that authentic Japanese Gardens (like Portland's) take copious amounts of meticulous maintenance. They were not interested in that.

The clients really wanted a modern Japanese landscape, with a heavy dose of Pacific NW style. An old concrete retaining wall needed to be dealt with. Native plants were to be emphasized in the design. And no irrigation system was going to be installed. The challenges made this landscape really appealing to us. 

The gallery below has some before and after pictures of this great project. I look forward to getting some more pictures in the spring, when I believe it will really come into its own! 

 After. The cedar screen hides the retaining wall.

The ends of the old wall were removed and boulders were set.

The upper screens hide raised garden beds that the clients wanted to utilize in the sunny front yard.

We catch rain water with rain chains that empty into decorative dry well areas.

Boulder grouping by the main entrance, with a pea gravel pond.

Rustic bluestone path set in sand.

All the plants are drought tolerant and most are natives. Manzanita and Wintergreen Creeper were used- both natives.

Retaining along one property line is topped with cedar screening.

The boulders and screens are integrated very closely, making them one cohesive element.

Plants are placed in pockets in the boulder groupings. They are also behind the screen, where they will eventually grow through the slats.

The custom cedar screening emulates bamboo fences from Japan. 

Another picture of the runoff handling area, defined by bamboo timbers from Bamboo Craftsmen.

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