Situated on three acres outside of Portland, Oregon, this magical property is the residence, studio and farm of the acclaimed stylist Emily Henderson and her young family. Our work together, phased over four years, covered masterplanning for the property at large, cottage style perennial gardens, native restoration of the woodland understory, alpaca and pig paddocks, and a central pool with vegetable garden.

To ground the 1910’s farmhouse at its center, we used a mix of materials—antique brick, tumbled bluestone, pea gravel, recycled asphalt, and thermally treated ash decking—to add patina to the property. The materials provide a sense of organic growth, as if the garden were phased over decades, rather than years.

The architect designed a series of porches that funnel light into the house while providing sheltered outdoor space and multiple access points to the garden. Durable concrete stairs were chosen for Portland’s rainy climate with a simple black railing we designed in collaboration with Emily that mimics the geometry of the windows.

A plant palette of rust, blush, peach, sage, and green add cohesion to the property. A selection of plants with black foliage add subtle drama to the garden and punctuate the more muted palette. The garden shifts from cultivated cottage style gardens around the house to more native, less manicured planting as you move into the greater property.

A salad garden (Emily’s term) was added into a pea gravel patio with an outbuilding to house the couple’s fitness equipment. The production gardens are adjacent to the pig and alpaca paddocks, whose occupants happily eat the cuttings.