Back Yard Landscaping Ideas

Posted on January 25, 2012 by woodys
Number of View: 60

Landscaping the back yard can be as simple as installing a new sod lawn, a few trees and some shrubs. Landscaping the back yard can also be much more complicated, involving patios, retaining walls and custom water features. Landscaping ideas help interested people to develop types of landscaping they may like. Take for example a formal garden or a more natural setting. Maybe a water feature is a thought your are entertaining. Ideas help to help decide if you want a easy maintenance water feature (like a pondless waterfall), or does cultivating Koi with elaborate filtration and daily care of the fish something you are after.
Since pictures are worth a thousand words and most likely a few ideas I will share some backyard landscape projects we have built.

The following landscape photos should give some ideas of ground covers, flowers, turf areas and what they can look like in your back yard landscaping project.

The next group of projects we have installed should give some examples of hardscapes in the back yard. There will be paver patios, outdoor kitchens, seating areas, firepits and other misc. hardscaping projects including water features.


To get reliable landscape estimates for your back yard landscaping ideas or if you would like us to suggest some, just give us a call at 360-687-1882
Or you can just contact us below.
We have been serving the Vancouver WA area for over twenty years with quality landscape services.

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Front Yard Landscaping Idea

Posted on January 20, 2012 by woodys
Number of View: 121

On this landscaping project we were trying to solve a huge drainage issue. Water was going into the crawlspace because a mound of soil was blocking a natural down hill course in the front yard landscaping. To add to the issue we had to remove some 14′ Hinoki Cypress that were both covering the front of the house as well as helping block the natural drainage course of rain water. Our solution to the drainage issue was to install dry creek that would allow the rain water to follow a natural course and drain away from the home itself. Every thing worked well and our clients can now see their home again.

We find that in time and in this case the trees all had 15 years of growth. Many of them had grown way beyond their cute stage when planted. Don’t ask me why they put a mound that trapped water and allowed it to find it’s way in the crawl space, but I have seen stranger landscaping issues.
Our landscape estimates are free, quick and accurate. Call today to see how we may serve you.
We have been landscaping the Vancouver WA area for over twenty years with exceptional landscape services.

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Landscaping Is Made In America And Local Based.

Posted on January 16, 2012 by woodys
Number of View: 88

Not much is made in the United States these days. We can also say, not much at all is made or produced for the consumer on a local level. You can look where a product was made that you purchase and note either China has made it or some other country. Landscaping however, is one trade that uses local products and is made on site. Most of the products used in landscaping, not only come from our individual states but are locally made.

These next photos were made from over 95% local landscaping products.


Take for example paver patios and flagstone patios. Pavers are made locally here in Washington and Oregon and much of our flagstone is quarried in Oregon and Washington
The majority of our plant stock that we use in landscaping is grown in either Oregon or Washington. A select few may come up from California. As a interesting side-note, did you know that Oregon is the nursery capital of the US?

What about the materials we use for soil preparation like compost,soil mix and bark? All are made locally in the Vancouver and Portland areas.
Gravel, drain rock, sand and crushed rock are also all produced locally in the Vancouver WA and Portland areas.
Our grass seed and sod we install on a daily basis are also all grown locally.
Pressure treated wood is produced in Washougal WA.
The only product I can think of that is not made locally would be irrigation components. They are mostly made in Mexico. At least it comes from the same continent.
So when you call for a landscape estimate in Oregon or Washington, you can feel very confident that most of your landscaping materials will have it’s components that are made local.
That can’t be said in most industries.
Woody’s Custom Landscaping has been serving the Pacific Northwest for over twenty years with local product and local landscaping services.

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Majestic Beauty In The Landscape

Posted on January 10, 2012 by woodys
Number of View: 95

Scrolling through down loads of photos that my face book friends submit, I was struck by this focal point in the landscape made in the UK. I found it extraordinarily beautiful. There were no formal plantings, flagstone or paver patios, or an area to even sit and meditate on the feature. In fact, if you notice that much of the body is indigenous weeds. The head of the mud maiden seems to be a large clump of Iris. I wonder if the flowers are yellow, blue or purple? If they are yellow I guess our maiden is a blond.

The only sculpted form I see in the whole landscaped area is with the creating the head. The rest of the area has nothing more than soil which has been artfully crafted to resemble the shoulder and arm.
What came to mind is that there are so many different ways to make your landscaping beautiful. Most of us don’t have a large enough piece of ground to pull off something like the mud maiden, but majestic beauty in the landscape comes in small packages as well as big.
The mud maiden shows me that in this case of a woodsy area, a truly beautiful landscape does not have to have structured plantings, patios, retaining walls, water features, just a well thought out focal point that truly is majestic.
We have been serving the Vancouver WA area for over twenty years with award winning landscape services.

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Design Build Landscaping

Posted on January 5, 2012 by woodys
Number of View: 90

In fall of 2011 I went up to a property in Kalama when a gentleman called me after looking at my web site and blogs. He wanted a formal garden setting that required different levels, as the property has steep slopes. The idea behind the landscape was for his personal enjoyment and to have weddings held at the site. It has a wonderful view of The Columbia river valley and will be quite exceptional when finished. The only issue we have is that at this point, there is no home, no electricity and no water. I’ve got to say this is the first time I’ve landscaped a property without a home on it. Let alone water or electricity.
The gardens will be quite formal with up to five water features, paver patios (one of which may be a huge chess board), decomposed granite walkways with steps that match the retaining walls we are installing, led landscape lighting, plantings, irrigation etc. It now sounds like the fire pit we have built will have some additions on it by putting a water fountain behind the fire pit.
The landscape designer is Troy Outman with Outman’s Landscape Design. Below I will post a couple of the photos showing some of the beginning progress of the landscape project.
The first photo shows some progress on the formal water feature and a retaining seat wall that will house the fire pit.

The second photograph shows a little more of the hardscaping being done and the outline of the fire pit.

The third photo shows the side view of the formal water feature.

Woody’s custom Landscaping has been serving the Vancouver WA and Clark County area for over twenty years with award winning landscape services.

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Landscaping With Plant Material, Turf and Trees.

Posted on December 29, 2011 by woodys
Number of View: 105

With all the landscaping emphasis we see regarding outdoor living spaces including: patio areas, water features, landscape lighting, etc., it is particularly important to stress the root of landscaping. That would be softscaping with plant material, turf and trees. In reality over 60% of all our work installed in a year is in the hardscape portion of our industry. It is softscaping however, that really does put the total landscape package together. After all, it’s all called landscaping. Right?

Since outdoor living and outdoor rooms have taken center stage. I thought it would be appropriate to note that without good softscaping most hardscaping looks sterile and without much interest. Note the photo below which shows a nice hardscaped water feature we installed. Now imagine all the plants gone. While the pond would still look good, without the planting the pond would loose it’s value as a meditative and sitting area. Nothing would be there to invite you to rest a spell.

We also love to install ponds and stream beds. Have you thought about what they may look without great trees and shrubbery? Below is water feature five years after planting.

If you want to landscape your back or front yard, please pay attention to the plant material and trees. You will probably be focussing on the cost of the hardscaping since that is the big ticket item. What makes your landscaping stand out are the plants and trees. Hire a qualified landscape designer and make sure the landscape you want installed will be a little bit of your paradise.

Serving the Vancouver Wa, Camas WA and Ridgefield WA areas for over twenty years with exceptional landscaping services.

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We Install More Than Quality Landscapes

Posted on December 21, 2011 by woodys
Number of View: 112

Below is our newest review and landscape video of our clients front yard landscaping for the month of December.

We dug out approx. 28 yards of soil to create a sunken garden lined with a seat wall made of Pisa II retaining wall units. Under the caps and steps we constructed led lights were installed creating a soft lighting around the patio itself which were interlocking concrete pavers.
Below is the testimonial our client wrote.
- Dec 21, 2011
“Good Guys build park FOR ME!!” was the excited reaction of my Grandsons after Woody & his Guys finished the work at our house. They put in a new backyard landscaping and built a wood chip filled pit for the boys’ swingset, but surprisingly the boys (& I) were even more excited about the sunken front yard patio. By providing a better layout of the yard and making the patio not only more beautiful but more usable our yard seemed to double in size. We have room for a fire pit and adult seating along with a lot of room for the boys to ride their trikes and play with toys while still having enough grass to play on. And then there is the “Park” in the backyard. While they were at it, Woody’s crew corrected numerous drainage problems (installing french and other drains) and lit up both yards with low voltage (read lower electric usage) LED lights. The Guys worked from dawn to dusk and were often very innovative in solving problems, desires and issues resulting from having an older home that was “flipped” at least once. Quality of materials was excellent, price was reasonable and service was GREAT! V.W> Vancouver, WA

Here’s what the front yard finished hardscaping looked like.

We have been serving the Vancouver WA, Camas WA and Ridgefield WA area for over twenty years with award winning landscape services.

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What’s Your New Years Resolution??

Posted on December 16, 2011 by woodys
Number of View: 163

Most commonly, a New Years resolution runs something like this. I what to lose X amount of pounds, or you may want to exercise more. They are probably the most popular New Years resolutions I can think of. Well I have a answer to both. How about a new landscaping that includes a outdoor room. If you did your own landscape maintenance on your new landscaping, I think you would see that weight come off and of course you would be exercising at least once a week doing the maintenance and gardening. There are also some other benefits to having a landscape installed for your New Years resolution.

You now would have a beautiful area to enjoy with your family and friends, a place to go to to unwind after work, and landscaping increases the value of your home by up to 14%. You see a simple landscape done as your New Years resolution helps you loose weight, helps you exercise more, works as a beautiful place to unwind with, works as a gathering place for family and friends and increases the value of your home.
So make your New Years resolution today and decide to install a enjoyable new landscape for your backyard.
We have been landscaping the Vancouver WA, Camas WA and Ridgefield WA areas for over twenty years of award winning landscape services.

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Is It Time To Change Your Existing Landscaping??

Posted on December 5, 2011 by woodys
Number of View: 158

First off a good landscape tends to want to evolve. Maybe the kids are now in their teens and do not want or use that huge playground structure that got put in when they were tots. Maybe, since the kids are now in their teens, that playhouse in the back forty may be used for other things instead of playing house and is now a potential for unwanted activities. For most of us these are easy changes. What tends to happen most often is the lawn is too large and it’s time for more planting beds or a replacement to a new smaller lawn area. As we grow older we may want to actually enjoy the outside more. This usually leads for demands of larger entertaining areas, including a larger patio area or a covered patio area. It could be that cooking outside has become more than a 4th of July occurrence, and a larger outdoor kitchen area is dreamed about.
More often than not a once landscaped yard just gets worn out. The shrubs are too big, or the backyard landscaping is much more shady then 10 years ago and nothing grows well. Most of our landscape needs change over the years and a landscape that was installed 10 years ago may not suit your landscaping needs today.

The best way to start the process of a new landscape is with a reputable landscape designer or landscape architect. Most good landscape designers or architects will supply a nice set of plans for your future landscape changes. Great landscape designers should supply you also with a budget for your new look. Nothing is worse for us as landscape contractors, than seeing a client with a fantastic set of landscape plans, but no idea of what it may cost. Let’s face it, every one has a budget that they have to work from. Make sure that you are working with a landscape designer or landscape architect that can supply a working budget. If the initial cost from the landscape plan is too high with your landscape budget, materials can be changed, plant sizes can be reduced, or maybe just reducing the size of some of the hardscaping will put you within budget. Many times I experience that my potential client just did not know that the fantastic landscape plan they have is way over their head monetarily.

The next step after getting a workable landscape plan is to find a qualified landscape contractor. Make sure you are choosing a landscape contractor that is licensed, insured and bonded with your state. This is the minimum requirement. Then get a list of current landscape references from the landscape contractor and make sure you call them. Make sure that the landscaper you may choose, can in fact do the work as per the landscape plans. If the landscaper wants to change the plans, either they have a huge ego or they are not sure of what they are doing. If I may add, please don’t fall for the lowest landscaping estimates. If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

We have been landscaping in the Vancouver Washington area for over twenty years, with many residential landscape awards and exceptional landscape services. Choose the best and forget the rest.

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Landscape Testimonial Camas WA

Posted on November 23, 2011 by woodys
Number of View: 102

On this landscape project we removed an old deck, installed a new paver patio with 2 areas that required manor stone steps vs. the existing rotten wood steps,, installed a planter box, installed two seperate stairways to other portions of the garden.
I’ve enclosed a video of some of the work as well as a couple of the finished patio photos. We love our landscape testimonials.

- Nov 8, 2011
Woody and his crew removed our back deck and enlarged our backyard entertaining space with a paver patio, walkway and large planter. In addition, he replaced uneven wood and rock steps through the center of our hillside garden and side garden with Manor Stone steps. We were impressed with how creative his crew was in tackling the hillside steps. Along with looking great, the steps provide safe footing and good access on a steep slope. The products Woody suggested blend beautifully with the natural rock we have in our landscaping. As our project neared completion, we extended a walkway and added steps along a difficult side slope. Woody suggested some fine-tuning before we had a chance to mention it. His crew returned the next day and made the changes to everyone’s satisfaction. Woody’s crew were here, happy, and ready to work at 7AM every day. Each one of the crew was knowledgeable, hard-working and friendly. They showed pride in their work and were able to make adjustments, at our request, as the project proceeded. The finished hardscaping project highlights our mature plantings and garden. Woody’s Custom Landscaping is first rate, easy to work with, creative, and competitively priced. Woody’s will do our next project and we recommend them unconditionally. Barry and Karen
Working the Vancouver WA and Camas WA areas for over twenty years with award winning landscaping services.

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