This magical 3-acre property at the edge of Portland, Oregon includes rambling meadows, mature trees, orchards, and historic outbuildings. Work included residential gardens, edible landscapes, a plunge pool, paddocks for the family’s alpacas and pigs and long-term plans for habitat restoration. A soothing palette of rust, blush, white and sage plants give cohesion to the property. Garden design was developed in tandem with Emily Henderson.

A combination of materials—bluestone pathways, antique brick, recycled asphalt, ash decking, and utilitarian concrete landings—create an organic feeling of change over time, like the 1910’s farmhouse that sits at the center of it.

Cottage-style perennial borders wrap the house in tones of blush, rust, plum, sage, and green. Native plants—Iris douglasii ‘Canyon Snow’, Acer circinatum, Calamagrostis foliosa, and Symphyotrichum ericoides—combine with adaptive evergreens—Hebe 'Western Hills', Allium ‘Summer Beauty’, Thymus praecox arcticus 'Elfin'.

The backyard design centers on a mini soak pool with tumbled bluestone surround, vegetable garden and pea gravel terrace, and animal paddock adjacent to the kids’ art barn. Ornamental and fruiting cherry trees frame the pool against a backdrop of mature vegetation. Wispy wildflowers—Oenothera lindheimeri, Verbena bonariensis, and Sidalcea campestris—create the feeling of an outdoor room in summer.

Raised vegetable beds house a ‘salad garden’ (Emily’s term). Simple split rail fences (selected by the husband) in two heights add continuity and rural charm.