Donna Giguere, APLD Landscape Design

Our original landscape from the late 1990's had become overgrown and tired. We also faced problems with deer eating our plants in the front yard. We hired Donna to provide a refreshed landscape plan for our yard. We could not be happier. She provided an updated design, which included a natural boulder retaining wall to accent the front. Her selection of plants that deer avoid has been a success. She took extra care to create a plant collection that provides color during multiple seasons through blooms and foliage. We also especially appreciate how, based on our request, she selected specialty plants beyond the plants that are commonly used in "cookie cutter" landscape designs. It is a thrill to walk through the beds and see unusual shapes, colors, and textures. Her customer service is exceptional. She even works with the landscaper on the planting day to ensure all the plants are of quality and properly placed. She receives our highest recommendation.

We had Donna do a redesign of our very boring yard, and the outcome was simply amazing. After seeing the project through to completion it really impressed upon me the importance of a detailed design. We would never have been able to create such an oasis without her expertise. We highly recommend her to anyone with a landscape dream they would like to see realized. Donna was very accommodating with our different wants and desires, and helped us find the perfect design and planting for our yard.

We could not be happier with our new landscape in Southeast Portland; the results of our collaborating with Donna. On the first contact, she was easy to work with and very professional–this proved to be a hallmark of her work ethic. This was new construction and we were living in California, so we had to work at a distance. We shared our thoughts with her via phone conversations and through pictures and websites. Donna then went out to the job site and got a feel for the neighborhood and our yards. These in hand, she quickly went to work and developed an initial concept for our reaction. Because one of us lives life from a wheelchair, accessibility was foremost in creating livable outdoor entertaining spaces both front and back and maximizing the potential of a small backyard that was not level. We wanted the landscape to blend with our neighborhood; suit the Northwest but not replicate common themes; offer very low maintenance; and in the back specifically, provide an Asian/Zen feel and ambiance. Donna was worth every cent of her design time. She visited the job site multiple times to see how the sun’s location and structures affected the available light. She helped greatly with plant selection; possessing knowledge of what works well in Portland. She worked and reworked the plans a number of times without complaint; and, she helped us select a landscape contractor from her own great recommendations. To generate their bids, Donna met with two contractors on site to thoroughly explain the design and help them to understand our special needs. After we selected our contractor, she walked the job numerous times to monitor that our design and vision were coming together. For continuity, she even met the contractor at a local rock yard for selection of boulders and when the plants and trees were delivered on site, she was there to fine-tune placement. The outcome is simply marvelous. Any time of the day we have a wonderful place to sit and drink coffee, sip wine or read a book. Built-in benches and retaining walls offer spontaneous seating for entertaining others and from several locations of both yards. At night, landscape lighting highlights the beauty of the flora and special features; and during the day, birds just love our water feature. What joy to be there in the yard or look out at what is a stunningly beautiful scene at every turn.

We had Donna design our yard after frustration with my own landscaping efforts and other designers. Donna was prompt and efficient and put together a plan according to our wishes. Before we were able to have it installed, the drought of 2013 killed our remaining lawn and we decided not to replace it. That meant doing a whole new design. Donna worked with us on the re-do to overhaul the larger area as quickly as possible and economically given that we had already paid for a plan that no longer fit our circumstances. She helped us through a pretty stressful time and put together a plan we really like. I have been impressed with her design sense compared to others I've worked with and seems to have a deep knowledge of plants. She has also been very helpful with follow up questions and advice. We've had the landscaping plan installed for close to a year now and we are really enjoying it. Native blueberries, other native plants, in a design that fits our house. I am so relieved that we now have a landscape we enjoy, we can manage, and has wildlife value -- what we wanted.

We have loved working with Donna! She has done several landscape designs for us at two different homes, and we have been very pleased with all of them. She has an art background, which, combined with her thorough knowledge of plants and horticulture, results in a masterful blending of textures and color. I particularly like that our gardens are interesting throughout the year, with different plants coming into focus at different times. I also appreciate that she is sensitive to environmental concerns, suggesting plants that are native, that attract birds and butterflies and that are appropriate for our climate zone. On top of all that, she is delightful to work with. She listens to our ideas and wishes and designs plans that we can maintain ourselves. We will continue to call on her whenever we need new ideas for our yard.

Donna is simply great. She listens, takes the time to understand what her clients like, what kind of gardeners they are and comes up with designs and plant selections to match. She is very creative and really knows plants. She has done 3 designs for me and I love them all. She is also reasonably priced and very responsive. The total package!

I really enjoy working with Donna. She is a true artist and really knows plants. She has worked up 2 garden designs for me that both turned out great. She listens, knows what plants will work, and makes the garden harmonize with the house and site. I think her work ethic is admirable and her fees reasonable. I would recommend her to anyone, and have to many of my friends.

Donna is a gifted landscape designer. She has an amazing ability to conceptualize a project not only in the design phase, but also as a mature landscape. Her designs have a brilliant textural appearance with year-round presence. We've been fortunate to work with her on two of our homes and both have been such pleasant experiences!

Donna has been a great partner for us. We've worked with her on two different houses, and each time we've been impressed by her approach to landscape design. She really takes the time to understand our individual requirements, and in both cases, she created a plan that takes advantages of the existing setting, while helping us understand the potential that exists with some carefully selected changes. We're especially impressed with the way she balances aesthetic considerations with more practical concerns like drainage, light exposure, and the impact of growth over time for any plantings. Highly recommended!

We hired Donna to help us with the plant palette when we landscaped our entire yard. Because we have a natural stream flowing through our property, and our city requires primarily native plants to be used, we were primarily interested in Donna's knowledge of native Oregon plants that would work in our setting. She was great at also suggesting non-native plants that worked well in the overall design while being more hardy or adding some nice color or texture accents to the native palette. She was also able to work our existing mature plantings into the overall design very nicely. After the first growing season, our landscape is looking surprisingly established and mature, and we still love walking around the yard and enjoying the beauty Donna created for us.

Before moving into my new home in Oak Grove I went looking for someone to change my .4 acres of lawn into natural woodland and meadow. I met with Donna and at once felt she was the one or the job. Over the following months she developed a complete design and oversaw the landscape contractor's work. Everyone who passes is effusive in their praise. Though the project is only about 1/3 complete and will probably take a couple of more years to finish and then three to mature I am delighted with what I have so far and look forward to continuing with Donna. I most highly recommend her and urge those who are searching for someone, especially someone to give their property a native, PNW look to contact Donna. She's brilliant!

Donna Giguere is a master at simplifying outdoor spaces. She is a designer that closely works with Landscape Contractors, therefore her Landscape Designs are installed, as per her specifications. Donna has the ability to design for Contemporary homes, Traditional Portland and Suburban homes. D & J Landscape Contractors enjoys installing Donna's designs as they are buildable and also, easy to bid. Her knowledge of plants assures her clients a tapestry of textures and colors. Her ability to use local materials makes all projects easily installable. Her dedication to sustainability is her dedication to stewardship of the Earth.