5 Great Websites for Landscapers

Ross NW Watergardens’ Houzz pageRoss NW Watergardens’ Houzz page

Landscaping is pretty simple: Put soil, rocks and plants (in that order) in place to make your property look it’s best. But, that doesn’t mean the pursuit of a beautiful garden has been untouched by technology. I have a number of websites I use almost every week to find plants, get design ideas and more. Here are five that any landscape designer or gardener will love: 

  1. Houzz. Part online glossy design mag, part Pinterest for home improvement, Houzz is my go-to spot for design inspiration. The advice forums are a great resource as well. Check out Ross NW Watergardens Houzz profile here.
  2. FindLotSize.com  Need to know how wide that bed across the front of your house is —  while you are at the nursery? FindLot Size to the rescue. Put in your address, drop pins and get square footage or line length. I wouldn’t use this tool if inches are critical, but it has proven to be pretty accurate and useful.
  3. Garden World Online.  This retail nursery outside Portland, Oregon, is a nice source for quality plants. What really sets it apart is its website. GardenWorldOnline.com has it’s entire inventory in an easy to search database. About 70 percent of the selection has pictures. You can also sort by usage and type. It’s a really great site for putting together a plant list or sending links to a client.
  4. Native Plants.  If you have not had to put together a plant list using only material native to your area, well just wait, you will. When you do visit this Online Plant Library to get started.
  5. Pond Calculators.  Need to know how many gallons your pond is? What size pump you need for your water feature? Visit this site for some great calculators that take the guess work out of the equation.

These five sites get my visits often. How about you? What online resources have helped shape your garden or landscape designs?

By Ben Bowen, landscape manager for Ross NW Watergardens in Portland, Oregon. Find him on Google+ or read more of his blogs here.
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