A SMALL URBAN GARDEN

I recently transformed a small urban garden in Portland that suffered from a lack of focus. The shallow entry garden was given a new front patio and arbors, with a texture garden and pathway leading down the side of the property to a terraced backyard. The wood arbors were stained to match the house.

Half of the backyard sat under a very high deck and was broken up into rough terraces formed from old rubble-rock. We used 18"x 18"pavers, compacted gravel, and landscape timbers to create a new ground pattern. Even found room for a new hot-tub, small deck and two arbors- one to help screen the hot-tub, and one that serves as a gateway into the backyard.!

This garden is also featured in the September, 2000 issue of the Robb Report's Showcase magazine.

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Wood arbors, a new expanded entry porch, pavers, and new plantings, transform the small front space

Before and after...The area under the high deck is transformed. Notice the hot-tub and screened arbor that we managed to tuck into the hillside. Daylilies and Japanese Anemone are planted in the new timbered raised bed, while Geranium macrorrhizum, Choisya, and Clematis surround the hot tub.

Before and after.....Gravel and pavers form the background pattern for the new herb garden. A large pot gains center stage.... while the pavers glisten after a Spring rain intensifies colors.

The ground pattern viewed from the top deck, looking over the trellis that was added to the top of the posts supporting the high deck. Eventually a clematis will grow here.

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