Big Sky Landscaping, Inc. serving landscape needs in Lake Oswego, West Linn, Dunthorpe, Aloha, Beaverton, Clackamas and Portland neighborhoods

Distinctively serving Lake Oswego, West Linn, Dunthorpe...
including Clackamas to Hillsboro and anywhere in the
Portland-Metro and SW Washington areas, quality since 1991.

phone503.257.9275
 
 
Landscape Slam-Dunk

Re-design Scores Big for Family Fun


The trickle of laughter from the newly installed basketball court. Happy faces rimming the artfully blended hot tub. The amber glow and the occasional 'pop' from a soothing fire eminating from a rustic stone fire-pit. For the Schwenke family of Wilsonville, this says it all. Family fun.
When this busy family of four decided to undertake some landscape changes with their largeGreat patio design overlooking the Willamette River, but irregular-shaped riverfront lot, lifestyle became a driving force in determining the finished design. Space for entertaining family and friends and room for play and relaxation were at the top of the list. Together with Portland Landscape Designer, Kevin Roberts of Big Sky Landscaping, the Schwenkes transformed their steep sloping lot into a liveable landscape that embraces the property's natural beauty and gorgeous river view.
Prior to the re-design, the Schwenke lot offered limited useable lawn area and no patio due to the sharp drop towards the Willamette. The Big Sky team was able to carve into the embankment beneath the deck to create a beautiful lower level terrace finished in Iron Mountain slate. Blended into the hillside with angular rock, the patio is large enough for additional entertaining and features a handsome, stone fire-pit. Individual level-topped rocks form casual seating around this "can't wait for dark" patio addition.Best intimate patio design with fire pit and built-in hot tub
 
Where steps wrap down to the patio, the Schwenkes had Big Sky nestle a beautiful stone hot tub into the landscape. The deck above offers easy viewing of the natural and attractively landscaped oasis. A bonus to incorporating this lower entertainment area into the slope was that the soil removed was then used to extend the level lawn space off to the side of the Schwenke home.
 
Dan Schwenke admits the new landscape is a hit with his children's friends, but the addLandscape designing a sport court for basketbal and moreition of a basketball court at the narrower entry to their property has given "shooting hoops" all new meaning. Complete with courtside seating, the painted asphalt sport surface is the perfect place for Jenny Schwenke, with a stong history of basketball, to share her moves and love of the sport with her son and daughter. The smooth surface, screened with laurel, also lends itself as a great level play space for other activities.

There's no doubt the Schwenke's riverfront home and landscape is stunningly beautiful. Re-designing their property to incorporate family interests and lifestyle is a landscape slam-dunk!

 
Clackamas, West Linn, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley and Beaverton Homeowners can make their landscape dreams a reality too! Call Big Sky Landscaping to begin your design today. 503.257.9275 
Heaven found in the yardscapes of Big Sky Landscape designs
Expect perfect green grass from Big Sky Landscaping
maintenance tips

Fertilize Now for Spring Payoff

Soil Amendments Bring Added Results

Fall is the time of year when almost any effort you put into your lawn or landscape will be rewarded double in the spring.

Improve your lawns ability to recover and grow in the spring with a good fall fertilization. Timing is important. Feeding your lawn now assures your grassy areas will have enough food reserves over the winter to emerge in the spring with better color, fewer disease problems and less weeds. At Big Sky, we recommend using a winterizer fertilizer in late November. This will keep the lawn green without promoting a lot of growth until March.

Adding soil amendments every fall can also make a huge difference in how your lawn and plantings grow. We recommend an application of lime or gypsum. These amendments are not fertilizers but are materials that are applied to help condition the soil. Amendments like lime or gypsum also help with nutrient availability so that the turf keeps a healthy desirable color. If applied in the fall, winter rains will dissolve and carry them into the soil. Also, if you are aerating this fall, applying lime, gypsum or fertilizer afterwards creates the quickest response.

Interested in landscape maintenance? We take the guesswork out of what to apply to your yard and when, then do it for you. Call Big Sky for a free estimate today. From Clackamas, Happy Valley and West Linn to Beaverton and Lake Oswego, Big Sky is on the job improving and creating landscapes to your desires.
 


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