Ross NW Watergardens

I hired Ben Bowen in 2016 when I first bought my only house at age 66. So I was really excited to make it look great because I knew this would be my last home. He had two people he hired do the project. He came exactly one time to take a look and make sure they were doing a good job. Subsequent to being done and over the years, the large flat rocks that make up steps and the small ones that were joined with pea gravel have come apart (this pathway was built on either side and back area of my skinny house). The flat rock stepping stones have been degraded so much throughout the years with the pea gravel that has just come apart around smaller rocks that this project was not done well. Not only that, that plants he bought and put in for me were not the right plants for the light and shade areas and most of them died. I also asked for colorful plants with some flowers too and he did not provide that either. So I would say I've been VERY UNHAPPY with the work that was done and the cost given that it degraded so quickly. When I called several months after this was done to tell him about the pea gravel coming apart, he said, and I quote, "We are not longer using that kind." I absolutely recommend never to hire this company as you cannot trust that the work will be done in good faith.

Ben and the team at Ross NW Watergardens were an absolute joy to work with. For our backyard renovation we were looking for Palm Springs function/design aesthetic with (mostly) Northwest native plants for low water and low maintenance needs. His company delivered what we wanted, flawlessly. We had heard many contractor horror stories over the years (abandoning projects, etc) but felt like this would not be an issue with Ross NW due to Ben’s very thorough communication right from the start. He was upfront with what we should expect to pay, the expected timeline from design to completion, and about other projects that were currently in process that may affect ours. Ben’s attention to detail and ease of explaining abstract concepts is right where it needs to be. We truly hit the jackpot choosing this company for our renovation. Ben was exceptional from the initial meeting and throughout the design process where he was never dogmatic about his design and welcomed any changes we had to the layout or plant selection. He gave many great recommendations but was never pushy about which direction we should go. Once work began, his crew was respectful of our home and our adjacent neighbors. Ben checked in on-site throughout the project and was always in communication with us, via email, about what was coming up next, and any scheduling issues. It has been surreal to see how well this project moved from design to completion and we have “is this really our backyard!?” moments every time we go outside. It’s incredible to have such a serene space to relax and entertain in, and a space that rivals the landscape architecture of many hotels we’ve stayed in. Ross NW Watergardens made it happen and if they did it for us, they can do it for you. Don’t hesitate to contact these folks.

Ben and his team did an amazing job building a walkway on the side of our house from the driveway to the back. They also installed a french drain system to deal with a drainage issue along the length of our backyard. The work was done quickly and professionally. I have used them in the past, and will use them for future work. Thank you Ben!

Ross NW gardens did a great job getting landscaping plans for our Japanese style garden completed. Ben was professional and prompt with communication. He also made suggestions when asked and was flexible working with us and our wish list. We look forward to implementing the landscape plan piece by piece. Highly recommended!

My husband and I visited Japan several years ago. After he died I wanted a visual reminder of what he loved. I met Ben armed with Japanese landscaping design books complete with post it notes. In a 15 minute conversation I knew he was the person for the job. A careful listener and great communicator who responded quickly to my questions and frets. I am looking at my back yard with three huge boulders (mountains) against a huge grey gravel "lake." I have graceful planted mounds on what was my flat yard. One of the two large stone paths that spread across the yard leads to a boulder "seat" beside a Japanese lantern. He suggested gorgeous black grasses that echo the black trim on the house. My front door is orange and looking through the glass in it and simultaneously through the glass back door one sees a beautiful weeping tree with orange bark. The crew was fabulous to deal with..very professional and hard working. Every day is a comforting reminder of my husband.

These guys are just the best to work with! We shared our vision and photos of what we loved and they were able to come up with the perfect deign for our space. He was so patient, listened intently, and had some amazing ideas we would never have imagined.. Thanks again Ross NW Watergardens...We always recoment you to our friends and family!

Ben and the entire crew were all amazing to work with from the initial consultation through completion of our project. Ben took the time to carefully explain each element of the design proposal to make sure we understood all the necessary details. We encountered a few delays with the crazy winter snowstorms and some unexpected issues (none of which were the fault of Ross NW Watergardens) and Ben and the team went above and beyond to help us resolve them while keeping open communication throughout the project. The end result was better than we could have expected and we are thrilled with how everything turned out!

Ben was a great listener to our wants, wishes, and needs to transform our yard into a low maintenance, kid friendly space that looks amazing! He was very professional, kept to the projected time line and updated us with any changes or concerns if we chose to do so. Over the past two years we have used Ross NW Water gardens for our front and back yard. We constantly get complements from neighbors.

We moved to Portland from San Francisco to a beautiful new Portland Foursquare in July of 2014. The previous owners did not have a green thumb, and what little planting that was done by the contractor when the home was built, had been barely maintained and did not compliment the home very well. I knew I wanted a japanese garden and my husband wanted a water feature in our back yard, so I'm still not sure how, but I found Sada Uchiyama online, and I sought him out in June before we closed on our house. Sada will only work with Joe Bowen (Ross NW Watergardens), and so this is how we met Joe. Joe came out to our home with Sada for an appointment, and it took us six months to get on Joe's construction calendar! Even though the wait time was frustrating, it was SO WORTH THE WAIT. Our home was beautiful, but our front and back yard are now stunning. Our neighbors regularly stop by and thank us for re-doing our yard. I thought our yard was only distasteful to us, but obviously not! Joe was terrific to work with: responsive, accommodating, easy going, and just a really nice guy. Anytime I had a question, he was there. Any time I've had a concern, he reassured me. If there was a problem, he came down to fix it himself. Efrain and his wife, as well as his brother are knowledgeable, hard working, and diligent. They started our project in the middle of November (COLD!) and worked through February. Joe's team showed up every morning at 8am and left at 5pm, and worked all day, unless thy had an occasional appointment, or were out getting materials. I never had to check on them, and they were always making progress. They worked so hard sometimes, when they moved the boulders into our back yard, I wanted to go run and help them! I watched them work through pelting rain and freezing temperatures. I could not believe their dedication and skill. In the meantime we had a basement build out of our home, and I can honestly say that the comparison of experiences were night and day. Joe knows how to run a business. He's ethical, understands customer service, and is just a really great small business owner/ manager. I've never met his son Ben, but can only imagine he is terrific to work with as well. The two of them make a great team, and I couldn't have been more pleased. I highly recommend this business and if given the chance to do it all over again, would hire them in a heartbeat. Joe and his team are absolutely the best contracting experience we've ever had and I am so grateful we hired them. They earned everything we paid them.

Ben was a pleasure to work with. He came out to redesign a water feature that was built poorly by another company. He went out of his way to find me the perfect bubbler for our new water feature. His crew were amazing and worked efficiently! I would hire Ross NW Watergardens again in a heart beat!

"Ben and the team at Ross NW Watergardens are great. They are responsive, have good pricing, and an excellent attention to detail. We would definitely work with them again and recommend RNWWG for any landscaping, landscape paving, and especially watergarden installations. We look forward to working together again on upcoming projects." -Nick Mira, Principal, Propel Studio Architecture

Wow - Ben Bowen and his company - what an absolutely professional and efficient, plus knowledgeable about the natural scape and the life of our fish! We contracted with Ben to renovate our pond after it had been left in disuse for between 4-6 years. It looks beautiful and we are so happy with Ben's work. He communicated with us constantly about the renovation and we knew exactly what to expect in terms of timeline and costs. I would not hesitate to recommend Ben and Ross NW Watergardens for any project or landscape issue you need to resolve, or a new project management.