Catherine Sherraden
503-935-5368
workshops@naturescape.org

Join the tour, and bring home new ideas and inspiration for your yard! Discover how individuals use Naturescaping techniques in their own front and back yards.
This self-guided tour of six homes in SW (3), SE (1), N (1) and NE (1) Portland will demonstrate Naturescaping along streams, on typical city lots, newly-planted Naturescaping, and lush, mature Naturescaped yards.
You’ll see firsthand how Metro-area gardeners are using native plants and environmentally-friendly gardening techniques to create beautiful landscaping that conserves water, take less maintenance, controls erosion, and provides habitat.
The tour is self-drive/bike/walk/bus, drop-in style, Sunday, June 1, 2008, 1:00-4:30pm.
Plan to spend 30-45 minutes at each yard. You likely will not be able to visit all six yards, so we will provide to you information about each of the yards so you can choose one(s) that are of particular interest to you.
Two yards have large trees creating a lot shade with many species of native plants thriving beneath. To quote one yard host, “It is lush and beautiful with about 25 species of Oregon natives, including ferns, trillium and carpets of oxalis.”
The couple at one of the SW homes say that when they bought the place, the back half of the yard with the creek was overgrown and impenetrable with blackberries and ivy. With the help of brush-eating goats and lots of elbow grease, a lot of it has been transformed into native landscaping.
In the past year, the couple at the N Portland home have worked to remove all impervious pavement and most of the invasive and exotic species, and have started to reintroduce a host of native species. They now have over 25 native plant species, a bioswale to manage the rainwater from their roof, nests for native pollinators, a rain catchment system, worm composting bins, and two hives of sweet (if nonnative) honeybees.
One of the SW yards, and the NE yard belong to the Naturescaping trainers. Both have about 85% fairly mature native plants. The NE yard has a hot, dry, exposed front yard. The Southwest yard has a lot of large trees with plenty of shade.
Go to www.naturescape.org to register for the tour. There is no charge and all are welcome to sign up.