Portland Landscape Designers

• Do I need a full landscape design?

A full landscape design is often the best way to get your project started. Full scale designs are needed for large or complicated projects or if you know you will have difficulty visualizing your landscape’s potential. It is also valuable to have a design when you plan to complete the project in phases.

Simple landscape projects may not require a full design, just a clear description of the work to be performed. We can provide pictures of plant materials and techniques that we will employ. Here is a project that proceeded this way. Both approaches have benefits and drawbacks. The key is to choose what makes you comfortable.

• Who are your landscape designers?

Joe and Ben Bowen are both landscape designers. Ben, though, is our primary designer. We have decades of experience designing and creating landscapes in the Portland area. Find out more about us here.

• What does a landscape design cost?

Our landscape design fee minimum is $1000.00. Each design proposal is custom, based on your project scope and the demands of your site. A sample landscape design proposal is below.

• What kind of landscape plans does Ross NW Watergardens produce?

We utilize a CAD-based computer program to produce professional 2D designs. We provide pictures and descriptions that help you envision the design. We do not produce elevations or renderings.

Why not? 3D renderings are cool, but don’t add much to the process. They tend to set expectations that can’t be met in reality. The boulder delivered to your project will not look like the one in the rendering. Neither will the plants. And don’t even get me started on the pitfalls of renderings of water features.

What we do offer is the combined power of a 2D design and written explanation, along with pictures that serve as examples. We do a good job of enabling even the least imaginative client to see what their new landscape will be!

• How long does a design take to complete?

Depends on the scope and time of year (more on that here). A detailed design, requested during the summer, can take 4-6 weeks to be presented. Additional time is needed to make revisions. It’s a process, so make sure you are working with someone you like!

• How much input do you have into the design?

Tons. The design process is guided by your preferences. Multiple revisions are included in the design agreement, ensuring the final landscape plan is just right for you. I have been on many consultations with clients who had a design from another designer- a design that didn’t fit their style. That will not happen with us! We love modern landscape design, but if that is not your style then it won’t be the style of your design.

• When do I need a landscape architect?

Large projects, with a high degree of complexity, benefit from the technical background a landscape architect provides. LA’s can tell tradesman how to build something. Landscape designers can not. We are happy to consult on your project and refer you to an excellent landscape architect. We have several that are incredibly talented and wonderful to work with.