The Garden Retreat, LLC

We hired Russ in the Spring of 2025 to remove our front lawn and create a drought friendly rock garden for our SE Portland home. Russ was great to work with! Consistent, timely communication; he listened closely and helped us accomplish our goals yet provided suggestions informed by his expertise in a light hearted and helpful manner. His bid was spot on (actually a little under in the expected total) and would most definitely work with him again! Thank you Russ—we get compliments on your work often!

Great work from a great person! Fixed up our front yard, placed a trellis, planted, put in irrigation, and more!

Russ has done two projects for us...front yard/patio, and now an overhaul of our backyard, with aims of native plants, beauty, and minimal maintenance in the future. He had great suggestions and did wonderful work, our landscaping could not look nicer. He is meticulous and detailed. More importantly, he always followed through exactly with what he said he would do in a timely manner and communicated very clearly and easily with us. It is a pleasure working with Russ! Highly recommend!!

I'm very pleased with the work that Russ from The Garden Retreat did on a large, sloping section of my yard and would not hesitate to recommend him. The ivy and old junipers have been replaced by a variety of new plants, many of them natives, along with an irrigation system. The old unsafe steps and sidewalk have been replaced also, using attractive pavers. Russ was easy to work with, had great ideas, and communicated well, replying quickly to emails and keeping me informed every step of the way. The cost was reasonable and the project was completed in the expected amount of time. I've already had many compliments on the new look and am eager to see it develop as the plants grow and fill the hillside.

We had Russ out to rip and replace our front yard and he was amazing! He worked through a couple of plans with us (would highly recommend this step) to ensure we were both on the same page as to what we wanted done. The entire process seemed very personalized. He was also helpful (and very patient) as I worked through some permitting issues with the city. In terms of the execution, Russ was communicative about what was happening and how things were progressing or if there were any hiccups. And when there were problems, Russ always had creative options to solve the problem. The completed project looks great and just about every time I'm outside somebody complements the yard.

I had an idea and some pictures for inspiration and Russ brought it all to life. He excels at communication; he sets expectations and timelines and is honest about what will and won't work. I appreciate the combination of his design expertise along with execution. A rare find and an amazing outcome for a beautiful front yard transformation. I get a lot of compliments and I appreciate that he was able to utilize a small space and turn it into such an amazing oasis with eye striking street appeal. He listened to my wish list and added the elements that were important to me, including some amazing rocks which were on my personal wish list. We lost some plants due to heat and placement, and he replaced a few things that will hopefully come back next Spring. The remote Rainbird app is still a struggle for me due to my own Wi-Fi coverage issues, but Russ took the time to teach me how to work with the new drip system until I was comfortable with planting on my own and adding drip line where needed. Thanks Russ. Looking forward to working with you on the backyard in the coming years!

Russ helped us with a complete redesign of our backyard, turning it from an unusable sloped mess into a great space for our family. Russ did a great job of making recommendations based on the overall look that we wanted, but suggesting plants we had not thought to use. He was also very flexible working with requirements and timelines dictated by our HOA. He is very knowledgeable, reliable and a good communicator. I would highly recommend him.

We are EXTREMELY happy with Russ’s designs and the value we received. When we got the design, we didn’t realize that Russ was doing almost all the work. We were impressed with his attention to detail, quality and interest in providing the best in service and products. Thank you, Russ!

Russ of the Garden Retreat, LLC did an excellent job on our dry stack retaining wall. I should say "walls" - It was a difficult job, requiring three separate terraces on a doubly sloped section of our hillside lot. He also added a flagstone pathway so we could more easily access the different bed levels. He finished the work in record time and the final product is certainly eye-catching. Now all we need to do is plant it all out! Thanks, Russ!

We met Russ almost 15 years ago at a Trade Show. We liked what he had to say and we hired him to "re-do" our yard. He did a fantastic job and never did anything that was going to cost us money without asking for our permission. We have stayed in touch and often saw Russ at the Trade Shows. Fast forward 15 years. We just built a new home and because of our fantastic experience with Russ elected to use Russ rather than the Builder's landscaper. Again, fantastic work, but with a large lot and absolutely zero landscaping this was a larger project. Russ designed the plan, reviewed it with us and made adjustments until we were very satisfied. The plan included dirt movement, sprinkler and drip systems, yard lighting. a retaining wall, lawn, plants, bark and trees and a "killer" water feature. Russ did it all! I love our yard and all the fine work Russ has done. He has earned the highest recommendation I could give. I would be more than happy to have anyone who is considering Russ Renner for landscaping design and installation to stop over and see the fine work he has done with our yard.

Out of three design/build firms who bid, we selected The Garden Retreat because we liked Russ’ work in our neighborhood, but more importantly we were really comfortable with his approach to the project and the challenges and features of our space. He worked well with his grading subcontractor to shape and place boulders to add structure for the plantings and stability to the steep slope in our front yard. The plants Russ used are a nice mix of natives and ornamentals, chosen to be low-maintenance and provide year-round color and interest. He accommodated our strong preferences and guided us to better choices when needed, sharing his knowledge about their habits so we could make good decisions. We're also glad to have the drip irrigation system in place to get the plantings established and keep it looking nice. The paver patio Russ installed adds definition and is a good casual fit with our fifties ranch house. What used to be an uneven, hard-to-maintain lawn is now an inviting space to enjoy morning coffee or evening sunsets. We would not hesitate to recommend The Garden Retreat, or to work with Russ again on future projects.

Russ Renner of The Garden Retreat did a truly fantastic job on my landscaping. I live in a traditional, older home in a beautiful Portland neighborhood. The garden needed significant updating, which was a challenge because there is so much shade. Russ revamped both front and back yards, including eliminating two moss-choked lawns and replacing them with beautiful shrubs and perennials. He also installed a full drip irrigation system and designed and installed lighting that makes the evening view of the garden especially inviting and dramatic. He communicated with me throughout the project, insuring my approval of all plant and lighting choices, and he completed the job right on time. He is a real professional and a great pleasure to work with.