The Hawk Meadow Authentic PNW landscape design inspired by Willamette Valley ecological communities. We are a full-service landscape design company based in Northeast Portland. We approach every new landscape design with a "wide-angle" perspective. We like nuance.
So we make every effort to get to know you the client, the character and style of your home, and most importantly, the specific site conditions that will make for a successful landscape design.We love collaborative opportunities to work with talented contractors and craftsmen, and we continue to push against the notion that sophisticated landscape design be only for those with the deepest pockets.
We've built our reputation on our extensive knowledge of climate appropriate flora, and use of high-quality materials. We are always mindful of water use in the landscape as water is a precious natural resource, and one that is increasingly costly. By using plants that are adapted to our specific climate (native and beyond), we can create both low-maintenance and low-water landscapes.
So we make every effort to get to know you the client, the character and style of your home, and most importantly, the specific site conditions that will make for a successful landscape design.We love collaborative opportunities to work with talented contractors and craftsmen, and we continue to push against the notion that sophisticated landscape design be only for those with the deepest pockets.
We've built our reputation on our extensive knowledge of climate appropriate flora, and use of high-quality materials. We are always mindful of water use in the landscape as water is a precious natural resource, and one that is increasingly costly. By using plants that are adapted to our specific climate (native and beyond), we can create both low-maintenance and low-water landscapes.
Services
At Garden Stories we approach every new landscape design with a "wide-angle" perspective. We like nuance. So we make every effort to get to know you, the client, the character and style of your home, and most importantly, the specific site conditions that will make for a successful landscape design.
Our goal is to make the design process as clear, coherent, and relevant to your needs as possible. Good garden design involves harmonizing hard surfaces, structures, and plants in pleasing proportions. Good design is the foundation of a successful landscape. We work with many talented carpenters, and craftsmen, and love collaborating on projects with other builders and designers.
The first question you may ask when considering changes to your landscape is: should I hire a designer?. The first question you may ask when considering changes to your property is: should I hire a designer? If your aim is to replace a fence or install a simple paver patio then hiring a landscape contractor is adequate.
We will meet with you at your property to discuss what you want from your space, and how to best achieve your goals. We will assess the site, discuss your ideas and possibly suggest some of ours. We will show you examples of our work, and explain our process from design to implementation. After the consultation we will provide you a design proposal, outlining concepts and details that will be represented in the proposed design.
If you want to improve the ecological value of your yard, the first thing you usually want to do is remove the lawn. Lawns are resource intensive to maintain, and need to be restored every few years if they are heavily used. The lawn industry has made grass seed farmers in the Willamette Valley very rich, and in turn we have lost some the finest Oak grassland habitat in the PNW.
Reviews (7)
Nancy McFadden
Aug 18, 2020
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I highly recommend James Wilson, Garden Stories. James transformed my garden and patio area into a magical space. There were a number of problems to solve with respect to water and elevation changes. James crafted great ideas and solutions. He was flexible and responsive. The project took a few twists and turns. Being able to problem solve with him and incorporate his ideas and suggestions of the subcontractors he hired resulted in a much better end result than I had envisioned. Everything was completed within time frames established. The subcontractors James works with are top notch. This project
Lori Jenkins
Jul 14, 2019
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Having lived in apartments my whole adult life (and killing many house plants) I had no idea how to approach the garden and patio when we purchased our first house. Luckily, we found James. Although it was a smaller project, he was super attentive, consultative, and collaborative. He provided a strategy for our very sunny lot and desired level of effort to maintain. I especially appreciate his patience with my complete lack of knowledge of plants and flowers.
We've loved watching the garden continue to grow and spending evening on our new back patio.
We've loved watching the garden continue to grow and spending evening on our new back patio.
Diego Palma
Jul 09, 2019
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Garden Stories recently completed the full redesign of our front yard and we couldn’t be more happy with the final result! James is extremely knowledgeable and was very communicative throughout the process: from surveying our yard to providing sketches for collaborating on different ideas. His planting plan translated exactly to what we wanted: a sustainable design that took into account the style of our home and respectful of the PNW weather. We look forward to working with James again for the next phase of our project: a complete redo of our backyard.
Mike Neal
Jun 07, 2019
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After moving to Portland from the east coast, we wanted an expert in local flora to help us design our garden. Luckily, we found Garden Stories!
James has a deep knowledge of plants, especially native, sustainable and low-maintenance options. He is a thoughtful designer that really listens to your needs and wants before drawing a plan.
We are so pleased with our garden and get compliments from passersby all day long! Will definitely be calling again.
James has a deep knowledge of plants, especially native, sustainable and low-maintenance options. He is a thoughtful designer that really listens to your needs and wants before drawing a plan.
We are so pleased with our garden and get compliments from passersby all day long! Will definitely be calling again.
Ali C.
Apr 02, 2019
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I had struggled for years with a large backyard that was initially covered in ivy, and was also primarily wooded. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to have any success growing anything, and lacked the expertise and vision needed to really create a garden that was functional and beautiful, and could also flourish. In order to fund this project it required refinancing my home, so it was a big commitment, and step I had been unsure about. Luckily, meeting James with Garden Stories was all the assurance I needed to know that it was the best next step.
As a woman home owner, I had also had some
As a woman home owner, I had also had some
Lee T.
Mar 28, 2017
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Even as an avid gardener I knew I needed help, and a lot of it, to redesign and install a landscape on the nearly blank canvas ten thousand square foot lot I recently moved to. James listened carefully to my preference for a Northwest native style landscape with less lawn and lots of ferns, rhodies, and other rain-loving yet colorful and varied flora. He first created a "master plan" showing the major structural elements, including the house, fences and gates, trees, patio, lawn, paths and beds, and then a "planting plan" which included the planting details. Whereas the master
Tiva F.
Jan 20, 2013
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