As I write this, the rain is coming down in sheets. If you live anywhere in the Portland metro area right now, you’re not only hearing the rain coming down in buckets, you are watching your yard try to cope with it. And for many homeowners, that view isn’t pretty. It’s standing water. It’s mud tracked into the hallway by your kids. It’s a soggy, unusable mess.

Most homeowners think spring is the season for yard projects. New plants. New mulch. New energy. But here is the quiet truth. Fall is actually the sweet spot for reimagining your outdoor space. The weather cools down, schedules settle, and you finally have a clear view of what worked this year and what absolutely did not.

If you are dreaming about a yard that feels more like a retreat and less like a reminder of unfinished projects, fall is your moment.

Let’s break down why.

There's a particular smell in the air when the first fall rains hit the Portland metro. A mix of wet earth, pine needles, and the faint reminder that summer's over. The good news? Fall is the season for savvy homeowners. The work you do now pays off later.

You're not alone if your backyard looks more like a ski slope than a family hangout. Here in the Portland metro, it’s common to find homes built on hillsides or lots with uneven grades. While the views are often incredible, the reality is less glamorous: erosion, water runoff, mowing nightmares, and wasted space.

The good news? With the right design and landscape construction, those steep slopes can be transformed into layered outdoor spaces that add beauty, value, and function to your property. Let’s explore how to turn hillside headaches into hillside havens.

If you’ve lived through even one rainy Oregon winter, you know the struggle: muddy shoes, patchy lawns, and the eternal battle against moss. For decades, natural grass has been the go-to choice for Portland homeowners. But lately, synthetic turf has been stealing the spotlight. So which one really wins? 

Let’s break it down in a way that matters to you and your backyard dreams.