We Design & Install Perennial Meadows
Dramatically increase the beauty and biodiversity of your property
“To recreate Nature is the highest luxury” - Takashi Amano
The “New Perennial” style is a pioneering form of landscape originating with the Dutch designer Piet Oudolf, and now practiced all over the temperate world. It is a beautiful and sustainable landscaping option that is created using masses of perennial (coming back every year) grasses and flowers that represent their forms in nature, but with a keen eye for keeping visual interest year-round.
Pollinators are supported along with a myriad of birds that will use your landscape for food and shelter. Our test gardens have hundreds of birds visiting every day even in the winter, rummaging in the gardens and eating old grass and flower seed heads.
New Perennial meadows can be created for a variety of reasons - not just aesthetic, but for conservation and land restoration. They deeply nurture soil health and the general ecology around them.
Smaller scale New Perennial meadows can be created by converting an existing lawn or city garden and replacing them with perennial meadow plants. Once established, new perennial meadows require less maintenance than traditional lawns and are a great way to create an ecosystem that supports wildlife and looks unlike any other nearby landscape.
White Oak Landscapes is a landscaping contractor based out of Oregon City, OR and serving the Portland area. We specialize in designing and planting new perennial meadows. Whether you have a small urban garden or a large estate we can handle the preparation, plant selection, installation, and the maintenance. If you want to transform your landscape into a feast for the senses while vastly improving biodiversity, a new perennial meadow is an excellent choice.
What Does A Meadow Include?
There are a variety of plants and landscaping elements we can incorporate into one of our natural meadows.
Native Grasses
Native grasses are well adapted to our local climate, soil conditions and pests, making them an ideal option for landscaping, conservation and restoration projects. They are also an important food and habitat source for local wildlife, and they can play a role in erosion control, water filtration and carbon sequestration.
Wildflowers
Wildflowers are a valuable component of a natural meadow, as they provide a diverse range of benefits to the ecosystem. Wildflowers add color and visual appeal to the meadow, and they also provide food and habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Natural Stone
Using natural stone in a new perennial meadow can be a unique and visually appealing way to add texture and interest to the landscape. Natural stone can be used in a variety of ways, such as: Creating stone pathways, building rock gardens, creating stone features, and enhancing drainage.
Sedges
Sedges are an important component of a new perennial meadow, as they provide a diverse range of benefits to the ecosystem. Sedges are grass-like plants that can add texture and variety to the meadow, and they can help to stabilize soil, control erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife.
Ferns
Ferns can tolerate a wide range of soil and moisture conditions which makes them a great addition to your meadow. Ferns are non-flowering plants that can add texture and variety to the meadow, and they can help to stabilize soil, control erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife.
Ground Cover
Ground cover plants help to improve soil health by adding organic matter and nutrients to the soil. They can also play a role in erosion control, water filtration, and carbon sequestration. Ground cover plants can help to keep the soil moist, reducing the need for irrigation and they can also help to protect the soil from the sun and wind.
Meadow Designs Can Also Include
There are many native wildflowers that are well-suited for planting in a new perennial meadow in our growing zone (8b). Some of the best wildflower options include:
-
Oregon Sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum) - a perennial wildflower that produces yellow flowers and it's drought tolerant.
-
Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) - a perennial wildflower that produces yellow or golden-colored flowers and is attractive to pollinators like bees and butterflies.
-
Wild Aster (Symphyotrichum sp.) - a perennial wildflower that produces small, daisy-like flowers in shades of pink, purple, and blue and it's a good source of nectar for pollinators.
-
Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) - a perennial wildflower that produces pink or purple flowers, it's also the host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars.
-
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) - a perennial wildflower that produces clusters of small, white or yellow flowers and it's drought tolerant.
-
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) - an annual wildflower that produces orange, yellow or red flowers and is drought tolerant.
It's always best to choose wildflowers that are native to our area, as these will be best adapted to the local conditions and will support our local wildlife.
It's also important to consider the management of the meadow, for example, if the goal is to provide wildlife habitat, some plants might be better suited than others. We can discuss the wildflower options with you for your new meadow based on your specific goals.
There are many native grasses that are well-suited for planting in a new perennial meadow in our growing zone 8b. Some of the best options include:
-
Blue Wild Rye (Elymus glaucus) - a cool-season grass that forms clumps of blue-gray foliage and is drought-tolerant.
-
Tufted Hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa) - a cool-season grass that forms clumps of fine, hair-like leaves and produces delicate, airy flower spikes.
-
Creeping Red Fescue (Festuca rubra) - a cool-season grass that forms a dense, low-growing mat of fine, dark green leaves, and is tolerant of a wide range of soils and moisture levels.
-
California Oatgrass (Danthonia californica) - a cool-season grass that forms a low-growing tuft of fine, blue-green leaves and produces small, oat-like seed heads.
-
Western Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) - a warm-season grass that forms clumps of fine, blue-green foliage and produces small, fluffy seed heads that are good for wildlife and grazing animals.
-
Giant Wildrye (Leymus cinereus) - a warm-season grass that forms dense clumps of large, blue-gray leaves and produces large, feathery seed heads.
It's important to note that the specific native grasses that will thrive in a new perennial meadow will depend on the conditions of the site, such as soil type, drainage, sun exposure, and intended management. We can consult with you to understand which specific native grasses will thrive in your location.
There are many native sedges that are well-suited for planting in a new perennial meadow in our growing zone 8b. Some of the best options include:
-
California Oatgrass (Danthonia californica) - a cool-season grass-like plant that forms a low-growing tuft of fine, blue-green leaves, and produces small, oat-like seed heads.
-
Western Blue Flag Iris (Iris missouriensis) - a perennial plant that forms clumps of long, narrow leaves and produces spikes of blue, violet or white flowers in spring or summer.
-
Northern Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) - a warm-season grass-like plant that forms tufts of narrow, arching leaves and produces delicate, airy seed heads.
-
Carex (Carex spp.) - a genus of sedges that includes many species that are native to North America. They are versatile and can be used in different habitats and soil types.
It's important to note that the specific sedges that will thrive in a new perennial meadow will depend on the conditions of the site, such as soil type, drainage, sun exposure, and intended management. After a site inspection we can help you determine which sedge species will work the best.
Ground cover plants are an important component of a new perennial meadow, as they help to stabilize the soil, control erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife. In growing zone 8b some of the best ground cover plants to consider include:
-
Creeping Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens) - a low-growing, evergreen shrub with yellow flowers and blue-black berries that is drought tolerant.
-
California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) - a low-growing perennial with orange-red flowers that blooms in late summer and fall.
-
Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) - a evergreen, drought tolerant fern that forms a dense mat of dark green fronds.
-
Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana) - a perennial iris that has blue-purple flowers and is drought tolerant.
-
Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) - a low-growing perennial with small white flowers and red berries that is drought tolerant.
-
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) - a low-growing perennial that forms a mat of fragrant, tiny leaves and small pink or purple flowers.
It's important to note that the specific ground cover plants that will thrive in a new perennial meadow will depend on the conditions of the site, such as soil type, drainage, sun exposure, and intended management.
What Our Clients Say...
We strive for 100% customer satisfaction through prompt communication and following through on our promises
The White Oak crew are made of really exceptional people. I had the great joy of working for them for a few years, and really got to experience what it’s like to work with attentive, creative and kind people who strive to do solid work. The creativity, quality of work and professionalism that White Oak has cultivated in their team I think really elevates their services beyond what most landscaping companies out their can provide. If you go with this company, you’ll not only be provided with amazing landscaping care with fine gardening and construction experts, but you’ll also be working with true collaborators who actively listen to your needs with great humor and kindness. Many years after moving on, this company still stands out as an amazing work experience for me. Whatever your garden goals are, White Oak is a great example of a company that helps you meet them with collaboration, outstanding professionalism, and expertise.
I recently enlisted White Oak Landscape to enhance my yard as part of the preparation to sell my home in Beaverton, upon recommendation from my real estate agent. I was thoroughly impressed with their prompt, professional service and attention to detail. The team transformed the yard quickly and efficiently, creating a clean, polished look that significantly enhanced the property’s appeal. Their pricing was fair and competitive, reflecting the quality of their work. I highly recommend White Oak Landscape to anyone seeking reliable, high-quality landscaping services.
We are so grateful for all the hard work done by Taylor and McKinley to provide us a future sight blocker between our house and the neighbor's deck. They were very efficient in planting the 6 arborvitae including checking and adjusting depth of the holes and adding fertilizer to ensure a good start. Max worked within our time frames and kept us looped in on what day they would be arriving. I highly recommend White Oak for any of your landscape, etc needs 😊.
We’ve been using White Oak for years at our home in Oregon City. They’ve helped us design and construct some very special and intricate landscapes, exceeding our expectations. We enjoy working with Max and Kate and all the rest of their crew immensely.
We had a great experience with Max & the White Oak team! They listened carefully to what we wanted to accomplish, right-sized the solution to the problem (in our case, planting a front yard but not adding a retaining wall), brought a lot of knowledge to plant selection, and left the yard looking fantastic. We'll work with them again!
We love our landscaping by White Oak Landscapes! They were easy to work with — responsive and very considerate. They adapted their design for our yard based on our preferences (low maintenance) and constraints (budget), and provided helpful advice on what plants work best for our yard and how we might best care for them. We’ve received numerous compliments from our friends and neighbors on our front yard landscaping and would recommend White Oak to anyone.
Amazing people and built the most incredible landscape and water feature / natural swimming pond.
Sixteen-year-old pressure treated garden steps were failing and we were looking to get them replaced with the same thing. Instead, White Oak Landscaping suggested a better material that looks gorgeous. Once we got on the schedule, Max and Kate arrived and within hours we had a beautiful set of steps to our vegetable garden. A list has been drawn up for future projects and we hope to be able to collaborate with them again.
The White Oak team has been our go-to landscaper for many years. We have always been very happy with their services.
Very nice people to work with. They were very conscientious about our existing lawn and plantings. Even though they needed to do a little digging around the repair areas, I could hardly tell it was disturbed. I love the way the sprinkler work and cover the lawn area now. It’s never looked better! Thanks!!
Max responded to my sprinkler repair request promptly and arrived exactly when he promised. He fixed the problem perfectly and even did a follow up call to verify that the system was working well. I highly recommend White Oaks Landscapes!
White Oak took my very utilitarian needs/ideas and created a work of art! When I step outside I feel like I’m out in nature, not in a suburban backyard. Max and Kate and their whole crew were a pleasure to work with.
Would highly recommend working with Max and his team!
After hours and hours trying to figure out why one of my irrigation zones wasn't putting out enough pressure, I called Max at White Oak. Wow, 2 hours later not only had he isolated the issue and fixed it, they replaced my old heads with new ones, increasing the coverage over my lawn. Most important for me, was his description of all the other yard work they offer. Trimming, edging, mowing, fertilizing, weeding......on and on. Thanks so much, I will be using them into the future. Highly recommended.
We were so happy to find this great landscaper. Good communication and nice to work with. We wanted some work done on our overgrown front yard and mentioned another project. They gave good suggestions and grouped it all together into one fairly priced job. They squeezed us into their schedule and did the work in one day. We were so happy we immediately requested another job, which they did the following week. The gravel settled and was a little low, but they had no issue topping it off and smoothing it out, which they had anticipated needing to do. We will definitely continue to use them for all our landscaping needs. Thanks for being so great to work with!
WOW!!! I got an early Christmas present. Taylor and Noah prepared my gardens for winter. I had not been able to weed 2 of them for over a year due to some health issues. They did a super clean up job. Will definitely use them next Spring to replant one or two of the gardens. Thanks for making my day!!!
We had White Oak develop a full front yard landscape for us, and Max and Kate were really responsive to both our landscape needs and our budget. The work was done very quickly and there was never any question about what things were going to cost. Looking forward to doing more work with them in the spring!
What a great and professional team. I’ll be recommending grandiflora to all my neighbors.
Max and his team greatly improve the landscaping around our home in NW Portland in preparation for listing it for sale. From a design perspective, he had a wonderful strategy of where to focus on a large property to maximize value. The installation and irrigation was done correctly and without issues. The new gardens showed really well, were easy to maintain during the sales period, and we more than recouped our landscaping investment with Grandiflora Gardens.
I’ve never seen such professional and aesthetically minded landscapers. Lex and Zach knew their equipment (and used it SO efficiently!) that I could trust their work at an extremely high comfort level. Our job was not done as early as expected, but it was because of a very wet spring and our location/soil type. If I had the money, I’d hire this company for all my landscaping needs. They suggested good options for situations, and let me choose the option I liked, even when it wasn’t their favorite. Great company, and incredible staff.
Max not only gave me the most reasonable bid for the job, but he did great work and returned as soon as the system needed some tweaking. Outstanding customer service!
I had a great experience with Max from Earth, Water and Wood and would highly recommend hiring them. Max was professional, prompt and incredibly knowledgeable. I hired him to help out with a broken sprinkler head. He was able to fix the problem quickly and then did a full review of our sprinkler system and made some recommendations and changes to improve our system's efficiency and cut down our water usage costs. I highly recommend hiring Earth, Water and Wood.
Max and his crew are great! We've been working together for about 8 years now and my garden is a testament to his knowledge about plants and trees. Everything is thriving! He's easy to schedule with, he and crew are friendly, knowledgable people, and I feel very comfortable having them work around my house. I highly recommend them!
Max, the owner of earth water and wood has been absolutely fantastic with communication and did an amazing job with Lighting in my front yard. I highly recommend and will be using his services in the future for all other properties that need landscape care or lighting needs.
Our HOA property (River Royal Terrace) is fortunate to have found Earth, Water & Wood to rehab and care for our gardens and lawn. Max, owner, has been proactive in designing and carrying out his vision. His crew is exceedingly friendly and knowledgeable. We look forward to Spring's beauty and continuing this relationship. Thank you EWW!
I highly recommend Earth, Water & Wood. I had some difficulty finding someone who would take care of basic mowing for my lawn in Milwaukie at a reasonable price and I finally found it with these guys. They do a great job at mowing but not scaring my lawn and have great crews that come to do the work. I will definitely follow through and use them again next spring when lawn season starts up again.
Request Your Meadow Consultation