Welcome! Do you share my love for native and pollinator-attracting plants? Or are you just curious and want to learn more? When I meet with you, we’ll look at your yard together and decide what stays, what moves, and what goes. We’ll talk about your preferences and choose plants based on what you like and don’t like, while also observing light, slope, and soil to decide what plants and amendments make sense for a strong start or rejuvenation.

Together, we’ll develop your yard into a space that you, and the birds, bees, and beneficial bugs, will love. We’ll work with a realistic time horizon, following the tried-and-true pattern of plant establishment: Year 1, sleep; Year 2, creep; Year 3, leap. Love flashy ornamentals? Great. We can incorporate show-offs alongside hardworking, resilient plants.

My aim is beauty, function, and ecology, using a climate-adapted approach that reduces water use and long-term maintenance. We often reduce lawn in favor of plants, while keeping enough for a friendly and usable landscape.

I work one-on-one with clients in the Portland metro and Clark county communities who value clarity, practicality, and thoughtful design.

I’m licensed, bonded, and insured in Oregon (OLCB #16945), and I stay current on best practices in sustainable and ecological landscaping. I frequently design with Backyard Habitat certification in mind and encourage interested clients to involve their yards in the program.

Contact me to schedule a free 30-minute consultation, gilsnwgardens@icloud.com