I haven't used their design services, but I buy plants there and have found their prices and quality to be good, average prices for a nursery. They have a wide selection of plants, too. I'm sure there are cheaper plants but then you have to go to big box stores, MG sales, etc, and you won't have the selection.

We went to both this past Saturday. It's nice that they can look up inventory and direct one to plant locations. We go there when we need specific cultivars that are difficult to find elsewhere. Their prices otherwise are too high for us.

Not looking for one, already had 28 bird stations around house, but saw absolutely breathtakingly beautiful ceramic oriental birdhouse there, bought it with 25% off coupon. Prettiest one we've ever seen. So Portland Nursery has a bunch of other yard accessories that make it fun to walk around there.

They have wise men that will answer your questions. That was a big help for us when we got started because we knew nothing.

They have some beautiful plants. But their stock is not as large and robust as, say, Loen's and other nurseries. There are threads here that list really good nurseries in the greater Portland metro area.

I think Portland Nursery would be good for advice and design, but not price. Can you get several comparative bids?

When we bought this house in May05 and wanted to landscape swampy 1/4 acre from scratch, we got bids and the cost was insane. The cheapest was $65,000 and that was only a few trees. So I researched, learned a lot, got Public Works to help a LOT for free, and did it myself, hiring inexpensive yard labor for the heavy stuff.

We've gone hog-wild crazy, hundreds of yards of imported 4-way-blend topsoil, horse manure, thousands of cottage stones for retaining walls, 9 tons of flagstones, over 300 trees, 5 creeklets, tons of erosion control rock shards, dams, bridges and fleur de lawn, etc.

Made lots of mistakes but the whole process has been incredibly worth it. First batch of about 200 trees just turned 3 years old end of last December, and this Spring I'm watching them finally really grow.

Have to replace a bunch of plants that croaked in this winter's ice/snow/cold but at least I know what to look for now.

Could never have done it without GardenWeb! Haunt these forums. Asked a lot of questions the 1st year. Got accurate, kind, patient advice. I use the "Search" feature scores of times every day here.

So, do it yourself and save $$$$$$$$$$$$.

1. never used their design service.

2. their prices range from average nursery to big box cheap (for nursery plants). just depends... the great deals will stand out. this winter they had huge 5 gallon witchhazels for $59. as of 2 weeks ago they had AMAZING 5 gallon black lace elderberry plants- 5-6 feet tall- for $50. they have a wide selection of currants and gooseberries at $7.50 a gallon (typically $12-$16 elsewhere).

1. Never used their design service.

2. I have purchased many plants over the years from Portland Nursery. Sometimes they are cheaper than others, sometimes not. They always have a good selection of healthy plants and knowledgeable staff.

I know Drake's 7 Dees on SE Stark has a design department. They are also a nice local garden center. I think they've been in the design business longer than Portland Nursery. I haven't used their design services either though.

The info on the Clark County Home and Garden Idea Fair says that there will be landscaping designs by a dozen companies. It might be a good chance to compare some landscapers.

Here is a link that might be useful: plants and landscapes