Residential Landscape in Sisters, Oregon. Designed and Built in 2020 and ‘21.

The owners of this property downsized from a big property, house, and outbuildings that required lots of time and energy to maintain to a smaller efficient home with a landscape that is both practical and in touch with nature. Our goal was to design and build a landscape on their new property that is easier to maintain, has places to experience nature especially the client’s love of birds, and create functional outdoor rooms where the clients will spend time during different times during the on the day. To do this we incorporated a paver patio with a basalt columns water feature, native plants planted into the boulder terraces, gravel pathways meandering around the house to destinations to sit and watch the mountains, birds and Aspen trees. The first impression of the front entry is inviting with natural flagstone patio on the northeast side of the house. This is a place where one can escape the sun and cool off from the very sunny western exposure in the backyard. This side of the house has been planted with a microclimate of hardy Vine Maple, Rhododendrons, Alumroot, and Columbines. This is the shady woodland side which contrasts with the sunny native high desert side of the property. The diversity on this 5 acre property packs in lots of interest for the clients to learn about the gorgeous Central Oregon landscape in their own backyard while relaxing and enjoying the beauty that abounds! 

Bend Hillside Patio

We created an outdoor living area that the owners enjoy lounging in, will build a future evening pizza area, and will have a conversation space in their beautiful backyard while listening to the sound of water. The crew started creating the paver patio space, natural stone retaining walls and a beautiful oasis with water feature by removing the entire hillside that was covered in a water thirsty lawn. Access was a bit tricky and the machinery to move rocks and other materials was accessed through a 4’ wide gate that we removed. The plantscape is native enhanced and drought tolerant. We covered the ground with peagravel which is also an easy maintenance material. We incorporated a Thyme lawn for the owners’ dog. Both front and backyard are xeriscape with big contemporary pavers, steel edging, and native basalt rock. All of this provided easy maintenance and low water needs. This project continues to fill in with beautiful textures and colors and the overall balance of hardscape with plantscape is perfect!

Native Landscape in Bend

Native, mossy boulders create natural planting terraces as a solution for 9 feet of elevation change.

Native Landscaping Bend – Relocated from the tropics of Florida, this couple wanted a landscape that blended with the native surroundings while being very low maintenance. Starting with a severe elevation change from the road to the garage, our team built rock retaining walls of native moss boulders that flanked either side of the driveway. The boulders not only retained the topographic cut but created a natural amenity upon entering the property. Other key landscape elements include: ornamental and native grasses planted in the courtyard entry and industrial concrete planters. Our team also created drainage solutions to direct storm-water from the rooftops and hardscape such as pavers. Native Aspens, Desert Sweet, Sage, Penstemon, Oregon Sunshine, Kinnikinnick, and many more add diversity as well as blend with the native Central Oregon landscape.

Tumalo Residence

Recreational pond, swim pond, kayak pond with white sandy beach for sunbathing, mossy boulders line the pond edge.

This property was designed and constructed as a recreational retreat. The heart of the property is the pond. Our construction team excavated and built the pond with a deep and shallow end and a diving rock similar to a pool. Everyone enjoys this big pond in every way from swimming, diving, kayaking, and sunbathing on the white sandy beach. Added amenities include: two beautifully composed water features-one a bubbling spring with re-circulating stream that flows into the pond and the riparian fish pond emerging next to the breezeway. Pavers, designed to look like natural stone, connect the house to the shop and create a patio that looks onto the pond. Planting integrates into the surrounding landscape and frames the majestic jaw dropping mountain views. There is no need to leave this property where you will feel like you are on vacation everyday!

Desert Oasis

Desert Oasis with a bear.

This lovely home is in Sisters. The designer, Chris Henderson of Heartsprings Design, hired us to build this project to her and the client specifications. The site includes a water feature, paver patio, native enhanced drought plants, natural stone pathways, and other native materials to integrate the design with the site.

The clients of this property wanted a drought tolerant, low maintenance, entertainment friendly and native enhancing landscape. Heart Springs Design created a plan that addressed all of the client’s needs. With Heart Springs Design blueprint in hand, the Response to Nature crew installed this unique landscape. Big, natural stone slab steps and natural earth tone stepping stones are used to create the impressive entry. Native mossy boulders are used to retain earth to provide multiple planting and outdoor living levels. Flowing out of native rock is a waterfeature that blends with nature and provides sound that soothes. The water feature looks like it has been on this property for many years and meanders through mossy boulders that our crew meticulously installed. Inspired by nature our foreman and owner Bob directed the mechanics and aesthetics of this stand alone beauty. The paver patio adjacent to the house was built with a flagstone look and functional product. Pavers were scribed with peripheral boulders so the end result was “one with nature”. The planting palette blends with the native scape that the crew also restored. We cannot wait to see the owners entertain their guests at dinner on the natural stone terraces while listening to the waterfall with amazing mountain views!

Vacation Retreat

Rural, rustic outdoor living room vacation space.

Located in in the pine forests of Sisters, this weekend get-away was designed with low-maintenance, native deer tolerant plants focusing on outdoor living space and the natural environment. The original outdoor space consisted of a small rectalinear deck which limited useability. Our designer and team created an organically shaped paver patio with a rock firepit of indigenous natural rock. This allowed the client room for their outdoor furniture and barbecue, to spend their weekends away from the city, relaxing in their outdoor livingroom.

English Garden Retreat

Joe Pye Weed, Sweet Woodruff, Jupiter’s Beard, Brunneria , and Astilbe all make a beautiful shade garden.

Response To Nature’s Sandy Melchiori has worked closely with this client over the last couple years to create a this riot of color at their home along side the Aspen Lakes Golf Course. Something is always in bloom and drawing your eye to its vividness.

The design process began while the residence was being constructed in 2009. The bones of the garden were installed early in 2010. Since then we continue to finesse and add to this vibrant landscape.

Riverfront

Outdoor living room.

These long time Bend residents have a charming home on the Deschutes River. They recently acquired an adjacent lot that needed to be integrated into their existing site. This residence has a distinctive Italian character. The new outdoor living space needed to reflect this European flavor and merge with the established landscape.

Sandy worked with a local landscape architect in the early conceptual phases of this design. Our landscape designer, Angie Snell, refined the design and elaborated on the details of construction.

The grotto influenced head falls of the water feature spill into the unique steel runnel. The water gently spills into the lower pool where it swirls around the custom natural gas firepit.

This project is the result of collaboration between many different contractors: building, roofing, plumbing, electrical, and landscape.

Suburban Simplicity

Back yard planting.

Response To Nature worked with this couple to phase in their landscape improvements over a two year period. The first phase included rennovations and additions to the front and side yards. In the second phase of installation, we replace a small concrete slab patio with this attractive paver patio. Also included in phase two was the recirculating urn water feature and a fun plant pallet that the deer can’t get to in this private, fenced back yard.