A Garden and a Backyard Habitat

by Ben Bowen

ne of our clients in Lake Oswego, OR just had their property designated a "Backyard Habitat". The certification acknowledges the efforts made by a homeowner to make their landscape friendly to native plants and animals.

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Is Ross NW Watergardens Expensive?

by Ben Bowen

"Are you guys expensive?"

get asked that quite often. And I never know how to answer it. There are so many types of projects, so many different kinds of landscapers, and just as many varieties of customer. It's impossible to just say "Yes" or "No". And most potential clients don't want a soliloquy...

So here are the two sides of the full answer:

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10 Ways To Ruin Your Garden

by Ben Bowen

Ever have a waitress set a beautiful plate of food in front of you, and then notice a hair in it? Kind of ruins everything doesn't it? Yes, for anything to be great it's not enough to include the right things- you also have know what to avoid.

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Raised Garden Beds- Perfect For Portland

by Ben Bowen
Raised garden beds have gone prime time. No longer content to hide in a corner of your backyard, the raised planter has moved front and center. All over Portland from Irvington to Laurelhurst to FoPo you see vegetables growing in front yards, even parking strips. Read More

My Top 1 Landscaping Tip For 2013

by Ben Bowen

Everyone loves lists- and this time of the year there are a million of them. How about a list of 1? Easy to read. Easy to follow. Landscaping gold.

I was once involved in a convention, participating in a  walk through the organizer was doing with the speakers . (Yes, some landscapers can speak.) He asked one of the speakers: "Do you know what your main points are?" There was an awkward pause. He then said: "Just make sure do. If you don't, no one else will either".

In a similar way, if you don't know what your landscape is about, no one else will either. The focal points in your landscape are the main points, the high points that let us know what your garden means to you. "Focus" on this one tip and reap the rewards in 2013.

(I totally stole this idea from this great article.)

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My Little Brother

by Ben Bowen

I have written about Kyle before. I recently realized, however, that something was missing. An apology. I can't really talk about Kyle without saying sorry to some people. So here we go....

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Preparing Your Portland Water Feature For Winter

by Ben Bowen

Some day in January you will wake up to find ice or (even better) snow covering the ground. Your first thought is "I hope I have some good coffee in the house!" Once you have dodged that bullet another question will smack you in the face:

Should I have winterized my water feature?

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