Low Maintenance Ornamental Grasses for Your Portland Garden: Part 1 of 3

Posted by Carol 
· November 2, 2024 

Creating Stunning Landscapes with Ornamental Grasses: Expert Tips from a Landscape Designer

Low maintenance ornamental grass, Fescue Elijah Blue in Portland front yard with colorful low water sedum groundcovers.

Drought tolerant and colorful N.E. Portland front yard boasts ornamental grasses like Blue Fescue.

As a landscape designer, one of my favorite elements to incorporate into a garden is ornamental grasses. Not only do they provide year-round interest, but they are also incredibly low maintenance and many are drought-tolerant. Grasses visually tie the plants in the garden together and add a calming influence.

I’m excited to share some insights and tips on using grasses in Portland landscapes and how to keep them looking their best.  The grasses I am talking about today are available at most garden nurseries and are perfect for creating a striking, low-maintenance landscape.

Fescue Grass: Elegance in Blue

Festuca glauca – Blue fescue is a stunning choice for any landscape. It’s soft blue hued blades add a touch of elegance and contrast, especially when paired with vibrant perennials like sedums. (They work with so many low water plantings.)  Here are some important tips you need to keep your fescue looking its best:

  • Planting: Space them further apart than you might think – at least 24 to 30 inches. This allows them to grow and shine without overcrowding.  Low ground cover plants (under 5 inches) can be planted close by and creep right up to the grass.
  • Maintenance: Mostly, you’ll just need to comb out the dead foliage in the spring with the occasional spruce up as needed.  When they get too big or start getting floppy, split them (very few people do this anymore), or just replace them entirely. They typically look great for about 3 -5 years assuming you didn’t overwater or over fertilize them which can cause rapid growth. I’ve never fertilized mine.
  • Water Needs: Once established, fescue has low water needs.  Figure out how you will water this area much less than other areas of your landscape.  If you can’t cut back the water using your irrigation system without damaging other plantings, try re configuring your overhead spray irrigation or close off the section of drip tube by replacing it with tube that has no holes in it.  (The term ‘established’ means the plant has been in one place for a full year or two.)
  • How to Kill this Plant:  Water it every day in the summer, over fertilize it, or plant it in a low place where winter water will puddle which will cause root rot.
  • Companion Plants: In this garden I used sedums, hens and chicks, and lower water perennials like Rudbeckia (black eyed susan) which are excellent companions.  The low sedums and succulents fill in around the grasses and add bursts of color. Other low water perennials such as colorful salvias, penstemons and blanket flower (Gaillardia) work well as do dwarf pines or other low water dwarf conifers.

Low Maintenance Reality

Even though you may need to replace fescue every 3-4 years, I still consider them low maintenance.  Sometimes I use fescue as a temporary planting, removing them once long term plantings such as dwarf evergreen shrubs have filled in and reached a more mature size.   Other times I deliberately use fescue for the long term vision with the client knowing they will be planning to replace them as needed.

Additionally,

Continue reading about Portland low maintenance ornamental grasses in the garden in our upcoming Part 2.

Contact us

Hilary and I love plants.  We love making planting combinations that work well together both from a cultural needs and visual spice point of view.    Our knowledge can integrate your landscape plantings and take them to a new level of attractiveness and durability.

 

 

Categories : Design Basics, Drought Tolerant Garden, Garden Tips, Landscape Styles, Low Maintenance Landscape Examples, No Lawn Front Yards, Plants I Recommend
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Low Maintenance Ornamental Grasses for Your Portland Garden: Part 2 of 3

Posted by Landscape Design in a Day 
· October 25, 2024 

Low Maintenance Fountain Grass: The Steady Eddie of Ornamental Grasses In Your Portland Garden Design

Portland area residential landscape designer.

Fountain grasses planted with late flowering Italian lavender create great textural contrast and cascade down this dry hot slope showing early fall color.

Fountain Grasses: Versatile, Vibrant and Low Water

Fountain grasses are popular for a reason – their graceful, often arching foliage and feathery plumes add movement and texture to any garden. They work beautifully in both formal and informal settings and look great with a variety of plants:

  • Commercial Appeal: Fountain grasses are often seen in commercial plantings, but don’t let that deter you. In residential gardens, they pair wonderfully with pollinator friendly naturalistic garden plants like heather, lavender, shrubs and many more pollinator friendly perennials that are stunning with fountain grasses.
  • Crowded Beds: When your planting composition starts to look crowded, it’s time to split or thin out some of the grasses. Many grasses including fountain grass need to be split every 5 years minimum.  If you overwater they may flop and they will need splitting sooner.  Splitting or thinning out some grass plants keeps the planting composition looking the way we designed it and avoids having the plantings grow into each other.  Crowding spoils the beauty of the different plants shapes and how their distinct shapes contrast with each other. I praise the faster growth of grasses over shrubs.  Using grasses means we don’t have to wait 5 years or more for the planting scheme to come together.
  • Versatility: Fountain grasses can fit into various garden styles, from modern to cottage. They’re also a great choice for adding height and interest. Last of all they can be used as temporary plantings while waiting for trees and shrubs to mature.
  • modern front walk with grasses heathers and lavanders in low water landscape design for front yard in SE Portland

    Modern front walk with grasses, heathers and lavanders in low water landscape.

    Drought Tolerant Planting:  This plant handles lots of sun, and heat in Portland.  Once established most fountain grasses will take plenty of heat with a minimal amount of water.  These past two summers we have had high temps for longer periods than usual so the grasses next to concrete may need occasional deep watering to prevent scorched leaves.

Low maintenance Fountain grass in dry Portland garden.

Dry garden in N.E. Portland with Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alocuroides)

Remember, even commonly used plants can create stunning effects when thoughtfully paired and integrated into your landscape.  Commercial plantings typically use one kind of plant en masse which is often kind of boring and doesn’t provide the diversity our pollinators need.  Pairing fountain grass with dark red hens and chicks and drought tolerant heather (like Calluna vulgaris ‘Mrs Ron Gray’)  is an eye catching combination.

Problems with Fountain grass are similar to fescue, overwater, fertilize, or plant in a heavy clay soil that is soaking wet in winter.  Dog pee can brown out sections of fountain grass.  This urine damaged section often dies out and it doesn’t recover.  I never set them close to the public sidewalk in city front yards with lots of dog walkers.  Some neighborhoods have a lot more dog traffic than others.

Continue reading about Portland low maintenance ornamental grasses in the garden in our upcoming Part 3.

Contact me today for a custom landscape design that brings your vision to life. Together, we can create a beautiful, sustainable garden that you’ll enjoy for years to come.

 

Categories : Design Basics, Drought Tolerant Garden, Garden Tips, Low Maintenance Landscape Examples, Plants I Recommend
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Landscaping A Mixed-Use House & Office Property in Eliot Neighborhood: Part 2

Posted by Landscape Design in a Day 
· September 24, 2024 

Including Existing Trees & Plants In Eliot Neighborhood Front Yard Landscaping

Before landscaping picture of eliot neighborhood Portland home. Includes 2 existing boxwoods that will be kept.

Existing overgrown front yard in N.E. Portland’s Eliot Neighborhood . Our new planting plan will showcase this bungalows’ best features.

When revamping a landscape I like to start with the existing trees.  The tiny front yard of the Eliot Neighborhood property features two prominent trees: a young Dogwood, approximately 12 feet tall and wide, in the lawn area, and a young Serviceberry, about 10 feet tall and wide, situated in the parking strip.

Plan for the mature size of your trees

When evaluating trees in a landscape, I can realistically envision what size they will be in 10 or 20 years; most homeowners have a disconnect from what the tree tag says about growth rate and size when they buy the tree.  So, happily in this case, the trees my client planted 5 years ago can stay with a bit of professional help.

An example of mature Dogwood trees shaped in the form used at the Eliot Neighborhood Portland landscaping project.

This is  a similar form of tree now as mature Dogwood trees in N. Portland. These very mature trees  +30 years, were slowly limbed up a long time ago.  Look at the nice big trunks that developed.  Never remove lower branches from a young tree without knowing what you are doing.  You can stunt their growth forever.

Dogwood tree at Eliot Neighborhood Portland landscaping project.

This fairly young lovely dogwood tree will grow into the parked car area in the near future. It’s beautiful with all its lower limbs isn’t it?  N.E. Portland parking strip.

Professional Tree Pruning

Leslie already has an arborist who comes every year and he is pruning our Dogwood with minimal cuts due to its young age.  But now that we are putting a path between the dogwood and the house, he will come in and prune some additional low branches out so we can walk through this area to the office. Eventually this tree will be crown raised also called limbed up.    My photos give you a better idea of how big these trees get.

Practical Tip for DIYers: Avoid pruning young trees too early. I generally advise against any pruning for the first two years after planting and then only very minimal cuts if at all. This ensures the trunk develops adequately.  Too much pruning can stunt your trees growth and cause harm to its structure. If your tree is tiny, wait until it has developed a much larger caliper trunk before limbing up. This process, is typically known as “lifting” or Crown Raise .  It involves the removal of some lower limbs by a certified arborist.

Plants

The backdrop features a trio of  golden Italian cypress, while the garden itself includes a peach-toned rose and perennials in Leslie’s favorite colors; sky blue, apricot, lavender, and strong pinks.   Leslie knew exactly where she wanted her apple tree Belgian Fence  (this is a pruning technique similar to espalier) and it will be part of the barrier for the west side of the backyard.  I selected compatible plants, such as Echinacea ‘White Swan,’ and several fun self seeding annuals (Love in a Mist also call Nigella the sky blue flowering form will be seeded into this bed.)   California poppy and honey scented alyssum are some of the self seeding plants on our list.  Self seeding annuals and bi-annuals like Forget Me Not seamlessly integrate the garden.

 

Example of Lady of Shallot Rose that was planted at the Eliot Neighborhood landscaping project.

Lady of Shallot Rose David Austen in her apricot stage in a NE Portland garden design.

Selecting a rose is tricky.  While trial and error might be fun for some, most of my clients want me to pick for them.  Leslie wanted a fragrant peach apricot toned rose that is disease resistant.  For some reason there are very few disease resistant roses that are in this color range and that are also fragrant.

The rose I recommended is called Lady of Shallot and the flower changes color as it matures showing yellow, apricot, orange and warm pink.  It is fragrant, disease resistant and can be 5′ tall. I have several clients who now feel this is the best rose ever for its beauty and fragrance.

Leslie was delighted with the backyard garden design, appreciating the magical customized garden we created.

Continue reading about Leslie’s dream garden in our upcoming Part 3 blog.

Do You Have A Dream Garden?

A dream garden comes from careful crafting with the client, in the form of practical design. This includes, making use of existing trees and flowers, paired with a planting plan that delights the eye (and suits your garden care skills). This is my passion—creating custom landscape designs for small city properties.

Contact me to bring your dream garden to life.

Categories : Backyard Office or Studio, Before and Afters, Garden Tips, Tree Selection
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Landscaping A Mixed-Use House & Office Property in Eliot Neighborhood: Part 1

Posted by Carol 
· August 28, 2024 

A Garden Full of Joy in Portland Starts with Planning & Hardscaping

Eliot neighborhood Portland, OR before the hardscape landscaping shows existing old apple tree.

Before Landscape Design shows worn out patio pavers in tiny backyard NE Portland with with sweet old apple tree. (Eliot Neighborhood)

I always love designing for small city backyards.  Then there’s something incredibly rewarding about working with a repeat client—especially one like Leslie, whose vision challenges me to push my creativity and expertise. I first designed a landscape for Leslie’s North Portland home two years ago, so when she approached me with her latest project—a mixed-use investment property in the Eliot neighborhood of NE Portland—I was intrigued.  This wasn’t a typical residential landscape; our design would encompass both a residential rental home plus Leslie’s private entry office, and her dream garden surrounding it.

Let me share how we transformed this unique space, showcasing how valuable design experience, know-how and collaboration can truly create the perfect fit.

Eliot Neighborhood Portland property needed privacy in their dream landscaping design.

Creating privacy without giving up sunlight was a tricky balance for this NE Portland backyard – photo is before landscape design.

Planning A Garden Full of Joy 

Starting with the backyard, we needed to incorporate Leslie’s remodeling plans, which included adding an entry door to her private office. She envisioned a back porch or patio accessible from the kitchen’s new French doors, serving as a dining and entertaining space for her tenant. However, designing this area posed a spatial challenge due to the kitchen threshold, which sits 42 inches above the ground.

Eliot Neighborhood Portland before landscaping design for privacy.

Infill houses surround this tiny backyard before landscape design. Note vine maple and Oregon grape in foreground.

It quickly became apparent that a patio wouldn’t work; the number of stairs required would consume too much of the small yard. Instead, we designed a dining deck that both Leslie and I loved. The deck integrates an existing old apple tree with low branches that naturally adds privacy to the dining area, and its one-sided growth adds charm. This tree is not just aesthetic; it will support patio lights, adding a magical touch to evening gatherings.

Leslies Dream Garden

With the hardscape layout finalized, it was time to bring Leslie’s dream garden to life.  I shaped the planting beds and the path together. There is a minimum of 36″ walkway around the birdbath and a wider area for placing two chairs in the back corner for sitting.  I centered a birdbath on the office door and surrounded it with flowering plants that offer four seasons of interest. There is a tendency to make the paths too small when working with a tiny backyard.  36 inches is big enough to accommodate a wheelbarrow.

Continue reading about Leslie’s dream garden in our upcoming Part 2 blog.

What is Your Dream Garden?

A carefully crafted garden springs from a practical design with well-situated paths and functional spaces, paired with a planting plan that delights the eye (and suits your garden care skills). This is my passion—creating custom landscape designs for small city properties.

Contact me to bring your dream garden to life.

 

Categories : Backyard Office or Studio, Before and Afters, Deck Design, Design Basics, Garden Tips, Parking Strips, Privacy, Tree Selection
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Add Hen & Chicks to Your Pollinator Friendly Garden: Part 2

Posted by Landscape Design in a Day 
· August 15, 2024 

Care and Maintenance of Pollinator Friendly Sempervivum

Important Tips for Establishing Sempervivum in Portland, Oregon

Sempervivum shine in this succulent rock garden.

Sempervivum (hens and chicks) in N Portland front yard

Plant them in a well draining soil. They will tolerate our clay top soil as long as it is not in a low spot where water collects. I find adding a half inch of a tiny gravel on top of the soil between the plants every year is very beneficial and may speed getting the plants to multiply into a colony. Don’t bother planting them in heavy compacted clay. They will rot. Don’t put the tiny gravel at the bottom of the hole. They will rot.

Water them once a week the first summer until they are established and a little extra water during very hot weather is a good idea. Be sure to reach down, press and feel the soil, don’t guess, so you don’t over water and rot them. Their 2nd summer you can water them less. After several years they typically survive without much or any irrigation.

Prevent Flowering Until Plants Mature and Have Lots of Chicks

Sempervivum with the center hen and many offsets called Chicks fill a nursery pot in Portland Oregon

It’s better to buy with chicks already in the pot but they are rarely available like this.

It is important to cut the flowering stalk off the first year or two.  The hen will send up a flowering shoot and then produce seeds. This exhausts the hen (the center rosette) and it will die, which you cannot afford until the plant has created offshoots e.g. the chicks! This problem is made worse because what you buy is typically a 4” pot with a single hen in it and no chicks.

Hens and Chicks add an interesting texture to contrast with the Portland, Oregon concrete sidewalk

Hens and chicks can be planted next to concrete in sun but there is a limit to how much sun and reflected heat.

Prevent flowering by cutting the flower shoot down low in the leaf rosettes until you have lots of offsets to carry on the work of spreading to create a ground cover. This takes  two to three years before you have enough offsets or chicks to carry on. The shoots can be quite insistent so you may have to cut that flowering stalk off more than once in a summer.

If the hen flowers without giving you any chicks you will not have a plant at all come the next spring. In other words…you will not have any plant there come spring if you lost the hen. You may remove the center plant, also called the hen, if it is declining. Once the chicks are actually rooted you can gently cut out the (hens) center plant. I do this primarily for looks. The colony looks better without the dead foliage of a declining hen. Here’s a fun link for propagating hens and chicks.

Lavander, Sempervivum, and Spirea feed the bees in this Portland pollinator friendly planting

Pink flower clusters are what you get when a sempervivum flowers. (NE Portland parking strip)

Support Pollinators

Once your colony is established you can let your hens and chicks flower to support pollinators. You will have to tidy up by removing the dead center rosette so the chicks can grow over the hole the next year. I used to cut all of my flowering stalks out of the rosette (or hen) but now once I have enough of them… I let them flower to feed bees.

Low Maintenance Plant for Portland

Here is your takeaway – Sempervivum Hens and Chicks is an easy low maintenance plant that takes lots of sun and little water is needed for it to thrive. It looks great in the winter because it is evergreen and has fantastic texture to contrast with other low non aggressive plantings. If you are new….It’s more fun to play with plants when they don’t die. If you already love plants you will love playing around with Sempervivum so it’s a great plant for everyone.

Contact Us

Sempervivum is an easy and pollinator friendly plant for our Portland climate. We love to create landscape plans that are pollinator friendly and can support any of our bees, butterflies or birds. Contact us if you want a pollinator friendly landscape design that is interesting, colorful and can be an asset to your home and neighborhood.

Categories : Drought Tolerant Garden, Garden Tips, Low Maintenance Landscape Examples, Plants I Recommend
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