Questions we hear most

Size, access to the yard, slope, the stone and trees you choose, and whether there is water. We do not quote by phone. After the visit we write the scope and cost together, with a materials list and what is not included.

It depends on the season and our schedule. At the visit we tell you when we could start and how long we expect the build to take, and both go in the written plan.

Oregon licenses landscape contractors through its Landscape Contractors Board. Our license number and a link to the board's lookup page are in the footer of every page, and a certificate of insurance is available on request.

Kimiko or Kenta walks the yard with you for about an hour. We look at light, drainage, slope and the views you want to keep or hide, and we ask how you use the space. You get a written plan afterward, not a number on the spot.

Payment is in stages that follow the work, and the schedule is written into the plan before we start. Ask us at the visit which payment methods we take.

Wet weather pauses stonework and planting on some days, and we say so up front. Planting is best in fall, and in summer we plan around heat. We confirm the timing for your yard in the plan.

Clear the area you want us to look at, tell us where water and gates are, and put away anything fragile. If you already know which views you like from the house, mark them or take a photo.

No. We build gardens that borrow ideas from Japanese gardens, such as space, stone, moss and pruned trees, and fit them to a Portland yard and the way you live. We do not copy a temple garden or call a yard something it is not.

It grows where there is shade, moisture and stone or soil that stays acidic and compact. At the visit we check those conditions. If your yard will not support moss, we say so and suggest ground covers that give a similar quiet look.

Some. A single path, a basin or a pruning day can be a good fit if it is in our area. Tell us what you have in mind and we will say whether it suits us.

The Portland metro area, from Troutdale in the east to Forest Grove in the west and south to Wilsonville. The Where we work page has the full list and what is outside it.