Work with Barbara Simon, APLD

Barbara's interest in the natural world began in the woods of New Hampshire when as a child she became fascinated with the paperbark birch and the possibilities of its bark.

Her gardening career began when she was introduced to organic gardening in the late 1960's at U.C. Santa Cruz. At that time, stalking wild mushrooms also became a passion. These interests no doubt influenced a decision to live and absorb nature for some five years on a small island in the inland passage of British Columbia.

She moved to Portland in 1978 where she completed the Forestry Program at Mt. Hood Community College. At this time she also became a Pastry Chef at L'Auberge and subsequently Pastaworks and The Genoa.

She then completed the Landscape Design Certificate Program at Portland Community College with an exemplary score and went on to attend workshops with John Brookes and Robin Templar Williams, both renowned landscape designers.

She was the first graduate of Linda Engstrom's Garden Aesthetics Mentorship Program.

Barbara designs out of her home in Southeast Portland. She meets regularly with colleagues and is currently a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) National and Local Chapter, Association of Northwest Landscape Designers (ANLD), Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, Friends of the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, and Friends of Columbia Gorge.

Client Questionnaire

If you fill out the Client Questionnaire (PDF download) and send it to me before our first meeting we will have a headstart on the design process. So begins the essential process of communicating our ideas to each other.

Initial Meeting

We will have an initial meeting where I gather as much information as I can about your dreams for your garden. Of utmost importance is the presence of all decision makers in your family for this meeting. We will take a walk through your property. Please share any information that will help define what you are looking for (magazine clippings, addresses of gardens you admire, my questionnaire, plot maps, architectural plans with house footprint etc.). I will present a contract that you can sign. After this meeting, I will draft a contract, including an estimate of the time it will take to produce a design for you, which I will send you to sign. Once I recieve the signed contract, the design process begins in earnest.

Basemap and Site Analysis

I will measure your property in order to produce a scaled drawing of your site. I'll also observe and take note of any site issues that we will need to address. I'll take photos to 'remember' your property as I work in my office. From this data I am able to create a Basemap (the scaled drawing), and a Site Analysis (an overlay that schematically indicates the challenges we are tackling).

Concept

I will then develop a Concept. With your input, the data I've collected and the magic of the creative process, a vision starts to emerge. The Concept will show the shapes of planting beds and the placement of major trees and shrubs. These elements become the backbone of your garden.

Concept Meeting

We then schedule a 'Concept Meeting'. I will show you the Basemap, the Site Analysis and the Concept Plan. This is an important, collaborative meeting. I will want to know what you like or don't like about the concept so I can make the necessary adjustments. Sometimes a sketch will be provided to help you visualize the plan. We will also discuss your plant preferences in greater depth to prepare for the drawing of the Final Planting Plan.

Drafting of the Final Plan

Back in my office, I will hand draft a Final Planting Plan. This finer rendering of the Concept takes into account all that we've discussed. On the Plan, you can expect a sketch of some view(s) of what the garden will look like, what plants we are retaining, what plants we are relocating and all plants labeled with botanical names. I will compile a separate Plant List (which includes information on each plant; recommended size, number of, botanical and common names and any other pertinent information you or a contractor might need). Included also are Landscape Notes (a walk-through description of the proposed garden) and a Resource List (names of contractors, nurseries, etc.).

Presentation of the Planting Plan

We meet at your home for the Final Presentation. You will receive three black-line copies and one color rendering of your Planting Plan. I will present you with a packet that will include: the Plant List, the Landscape Notes, and a Resource List. During this meeting we will have an opportunity to discuss your options on how to make this garden a reality.

Installation Consultation

Whoever you chose to install your garden, I would hope to consult with them before and during the installation to ensure the integrity of our design. Two hours of consultation are included in our contract to begin this process. My presence as a 'facilitator' throughout the installation process is highly encouraged. Possible fee arrangements can be discussed at this time.

Services:
Consulting, partial plans, full landscape design and installation faciliation
$75/hr

Sunset Magazine

'Backyard in the Wild' garden/Northwest Style - October 2007

Installed by Dinsdale Landscape Contractors, Inc.

Yard, Garden and Patio Shows Display Gardens

Collaborative efforts of Barbara Simon Landscape Design

& Dinsdale Landscape Contractors, Inc.

2009 'Cultivate & Gather' Won Best of Show - Display Garden

2008 'A Bridged View' Won Best Use of Plant Material

2007 'Flotsam & Jetsam' Won Best of Show and Best Display Garden

2006 'Life Is But a Stream'

2005 'Portland's Backyard'

If I had to sum up what one thing Barbara Simon brought to us that made her special, it would be that our dream became her dream.

Other descriptive words that come to mind include: PASSION, PREPARATION AND FOLLOW THROUGH.

Her passion is easy to sense. When she is talking about site design her eyes sparkle and she shares a sense of urgency to get to work in crafting the design possibilities.

Nothing escapes her when preparing for a project. She not only talked to us, but she also took many pictures and walked our property just to get a feel of the land. She wanted our design to fit our needs and also to fit into our regional environment.

We felt like she treated our project like the most important project of the year and constantly checked in with us during the construction.

We are extremely satisfied with the finished product, which has given us a beautiful outdoor environment that also greatly expands comfortable space for outdoor living. We would recommend Barbara with no reservations.

Ed & Dawn Marges, Salem

The positive comments keep flowing in from both friends and those who pass by!

Barbara is a gifted teacher who taught us what it means to create an Oregon garden in the city!

Her guidance from concept to conclusion took us on an amazing journey of discovery. We asked her to provide a plan designed for year-round interest to be harmonious with the Asian influence of our historic craftsman home. We now enjoy three compatible garden rooms that flow together anchored with plantings, structures, sculpture and unique personal touches which reflect our taste.

During the process she provided important focal touches to hold interest while the landscaping filled in. At the end of the project she put us in touch with a gifted horticulturist who has helped us to maintain the dream.

John & Elizabeth Hathaway, Portland

Barbara is just fantastic. She listened to us and then designed a landscape that fit our house and our ideas. The plan she drew of her design was so accurate that we got a great idea of what the landscaping would look like when it was finished. The concrete subcontractor said Barbara's drawing was the most accurate he ever saw. He said it made his job much easier.

We highly recommend Barbara to anyone who is looking to landscape their home.

KE & BW, Portland

We feel nurtured by our yard rather than our having to always work to keep the yard presentable. We await our landscape plan maturing and growing more beautiful.

Before the design was put in, our yard tended to look scruffy; now it appears collected and pleasing. Our home looks pulled-together because it's set off by a well-designed garden; altogether a pleasing statement in our neighborhood.

We wanted a gracious entrance that was more accessible to our visitors. The landscape design invites people up to our front door. The neighborhood walkers now make a point to walk on our side of the street to check out our well-ordered yard. We get compliments all the time.

We spend more time in our garden now, and friends and guests ask to be shown the garden.

In the long run, a plan saves time, effort and money. We have more time to be leisurely in our garden.

A well-planned yard is less work and our house is cleaner inside because the traffic from outside isn't through a messy yard.

When the rain is pouring down, we have peace of mind knowing that the drainage has been accounted for in the landscape design.

Chris & Alice Herrin, Beaverton

Working with Barbara Simon on my landscape design project was a fantastic experience. She was a joy to work with. Her design process was thoughtful and inclusive throughout the whole project. Barbara's design expertise combined with her collaborative style resulted in a beautiful and functional new backyard for my use. I would highly recommend her for any landscape design project, big or small, that you may need.

Brenda Carpenter, Portland

Inspirations

Reflecting Pond, Bloedel Reserve. Bainbridge Is. WA

Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright. Pennsylvania

Chinese Garden. Portland, OR

Dumbarton Oaks, Beatrix Farrand. Washington, DC

Jane Platt Garden. Portland, OR

Bishop's Close (Elk Rock). Portland, OR

Japanese Garden. Portland, OR

Mirth

Recycled Hose Gate

A close relationship of garden to architecture

Mammoth Hedge. Vancouver, BC

Gardens can be a place to express oneself

Art

Richard Serra sculpture in a private garden

Ron Wagner pear sculpture in a pear orchard

Pomegranate. Garden of Little and Lewis, Bainbridge, WA

An Aid to Understanding Your Designer

Annual

A plant that germinates (usually in the spring), grows, flowers, sets seed and dies (usually in late summer or fall) over a few months time. May self-seed or one needs to buy and replant each year.

Broadleaf evergreen

A non-needled evergreen shrub or tree i.e. an evergreen Rhododendron. An evergreen can refer to any plant that retains its leaves for more than one annual cycle of growth.

Circulation

How one moves through the garden.

Compost

Decomposed organic matter suitable for use as fertilizer, soil conditioner and mulch.

Conifer

A needled (or needle-like) shrub or tree i.e. Douglas Fir, usually evergreen, and usually bearing their seeds in cones.

Deciduous

A term used to describe a tree or shrub that drops all its leaves during the cold or dry season.

Drought tolerant plants

Once established (after the first 2-3 years) these plants are naturally able to withstand dry periods with minimal irrigation.

Espalier

A shrub or tree that has been trained to grow flat against a wall or trellis.

Hardscaping

All the pathways, decks, trellises, pergolas, patios, driveways, water features etc. involved in your landscape plan. Usually permanent features. Another way to look at "hardscaping" is anything that isn't a planting bed.

Invasive plants

Especially vigorous species, most of which originally came from other parts of the world. They grow easily and quickly, out-competing all other plants i.e. ivy.

Layering

Designing planting areas so that plants' heights are mixed i.e. groundcovers, shrubs and trees. A design element frequently employed by the skilled pastry chef.

Low maintenance

Plants that will require very little care once they are established (after the first 2-3 years).

Mulch

A layer of bark, peat moss, compost, shredded leaves, hay or straw, lawn clippings, gravel, paper, plastic or other material spread over the soil around the base of plants. Mulch can help retain moisture, moderate temperature and inhibit the growth of weeds.

Perennial/ Herbaceous perennial

A non woody plant that may last anywhere from a few years to decades. Some perennials are evergreen but some go dormant and die down to the ground for part of the year. The plants renew themselves from their rootstock every year.

Pergola

An arbor or passageway of columns supporting an overhead of trelliswork on which climbing plants may be trained to grow.

Screening

A barrier whose function is to create more privacy whether it be planted material or hardscaping.

Trellis

A form of ornamental slat fence, metalwork etc., used primarily as a support for climbing plants or as a screen.