Laurelhurst Landscape Makeover

The client knew what she wanted. A recent transplant to Portland, she was ready to transform the front, back and side yards of her new home in Laurelhurst into a lively landscape that accomplished three objectives:

1. Create a landscape with curb appeal as charming as their Craftsman Bungalow

2. Transform the backyard into an outdoor living space for a growing family and entertaining friends

3. Incorporate raised vegetable beds, fruit trees, and blueberry bushes into the design

The collaborative design process included the client, Lisa Meddin of Harmony Design Northwest, and Landscape East & West’s design and sales associate Christin Bryk. The result in front was an asymmetrical, four-foot wide walkway that lends visual interest and provides easy access to the front door from the sidewalk and driveway.

The small size and slope of the backyard required creative design choices. The solution was a curved cultured stone patio wrapping from the back of the house to the side of the garage. A low retaining seat wall was added on one end and a deck leading from the house to the patio was added on the other side. The deck and patio offer three distinct seating areas to accommodate a large gathering or intimate groups.

Reducing turf to a small “island” in the middle of the yard, allowed three raised beds, a composter and blueberry bushes to be incorporated into the back yard. The client followed the designers’ suggestion to hang Woolly Pockets (modular planting containers made from 100% recycled materials) on the fence to increase growing space in a whimsical, child-friendly way. To maximize the use of every square inch of space, a narrow strip along the driveway was planted with raspberries and columnar apples.