wabi-sabi

This 2023 Southeast Portland renovation featured such a unique combination of styles: an Australian runner drawn to Japanese Zen Gardens who finds himself in Oregon with a deep appreciation of the native plant palette of the Pacific Northwest. With a full redesign of the shady side gardens and backyard area of this corner lot, we were given the perfect canvass to create a lush respite where the craftmanship and delicate plant textures were showcased at every turn. We wanted to provide the client with a space that felt like a sanctuary every time he enters the garden. 

We worked closely with the landscape contractor to install a true wabi-sabi mosaic of local basalt flagstone and columnar slabs (long and sliced), construct a custom spilt black bamboo trash enclosure, and build a yakisugi (shou sugi ban) meditation bench tucked into the corner. It was such an enjoyable collaboration between client, designer and contractor, and the project truly embodies all the good energy found throughout the process. The client has the heart of a Japanese gardener and it’s been a pleasure to see how his camellia espalier is evolving, his journey into moss propagation, and to experience a shared celebration of new blooms and color spectacle coming alive every season. It brings us such joy as we think of him returning to his garden sanctuary after his daily morning runs to enjoy a tea atop his meditation bench.

modern shade garden in urban residential neighborhood with stone patio and sitting area
view from tree canopy down onto stone patio with moss and soft grasses growing between
detail shot of japanese forest grass and maidenhair ferns
detail shot of stone patio in natural, wabi-sabi style with soft grasses and ferns cascading over the edge
basalt stone stepping path in shade garden with massing of grasses on either side
basalt stone slab surrounded by moss, soft maidenhair ferns and japanese forest grass
birds eye view of japanese style shade garden with ferns, grasses and moss understory
custom woven bamboo screen for japanese style shade garden in portland backyard
birds eye view of japanese style shade garden with custom stone patio and siting area surrounded by ferns, grasses and moss understory
stone paths with moss, ferns and grasses in shade garden of portland backyard
custom yakisugi burned juniper meditation bench for japanese style shade garden surrounded by ferns and moss
japanese style shade garden with bird bath water feature, stone patio and siting area surrounded by ferns, grasses and moss understory
native plantings of dogwood shrubs and vine maples with riverrock edge
japanese style shade garden with custom basalt stone patio surrounded by ferns, grasses and moss understory
laying out moss spores for propagation
moss propagation in portland shade garden
blender of moss spore for propagation
sketches of designs for backyard japanese style shade garden in portland oregon
plans and precedent imagery designs for backyard japanese style shade garden in portland oregon
construction process of laying large basalt stone for patio of shade garden
layout of large basalt stone for patio in mid-construction for japanese style shade garden
construction of japanese style shade garden and installation of specimen vine maple
bamboo cutting tool for custom screen
construction of custom bamboo screen
client testing out size of custom juniper meditation bench amidst construction
construction of basalt bowl birdbath and water feature
before photo of backyard
before photos of backyard in portland oregon
before photos of narrow backyard with dead grass