 BEFORE |  AFTER |  BEFORE |
|---|---|---|
 AFTER |  BEFORE |  AFTER |
 |  Steel edging is long-lasting and takes on a lovely patina with weathering |  |
 |  The flowers filling out one summer after planting |  |
 Lavenders and Jerusalem sage combine for a drought tolerant hub for bees |  |  |
 A wider path allows for main traffic while a winding side path encourages a slow stroll among the plants, taking in the textures and smells |  Slab pavers and gravel paths with inlayed solar lights |  Autumn color. Waiting to cut back plants until spring provides shelter and foraging materials for insects, and seed heads for birds |
 Desert plants like Opuntia cactus will thrive in the heat of the hellstrip rock garden |  |  We killed the grass through sheet mulching with cardboard and fir wood chips |
 freshly planted, before fence installation |  Planting day! |  My niece picking flowers from the garden |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |
Modern
Pollinator
Garden
Tally wanted the front yard to match the newly updated mid-century modern aesthetic of her house. She also needed a low-maintenance and drought-tolerant garden to accommodate her busy work and travel lifestyle.
We got rid of the lawn using a sheet mulch method with cardboard and wood chips. After 5 months, the soil was ready to shape into garden beds. We created an island berm and planted it heavily with pollinator supportive flowers, shrubs, grasses, and groundcovers for a carpeted mosaic of year round color and texture. Lots of drought-tolerant evergreen shrubs with blue-silver foliage to contrast against the dark blue house color were utilized for year-round appeal. A few deciduous trees with burgundy-purple foliage offer bold color and fall interest.
The sidewalk strip of lawn was replaced with a rock garden containing desert plants like yucca, cacti, callistemon, and agave to soak up the heat.
LOCATION
Buckman Neighborhood,
NE Portland
GARDEN GOALS
- get rid of lawn
- low maintenance
- curbside appeal
- pollinator habitat
- blue/silver and burgundy foliage to compliment house