Landscaping in Portland, Maine.
Residential landscaping in Portland ranges from a front strip on a Munjoy Hill triple-decker to a larger yard in North Deering or on one of the Casco Bay islands. What ties them together is the city's rulebook. Since January 1, 2019, Chapter 34 of the city code has barred synthetic pesticides on private property, and no pesticide of any kind, organic ones included, may be applied within 75 feet of a water body or wetland.
That rule shapes landscape work more than most homeowners expect. Plant choices, lawn seed and bed maintenance all have to succeed without a synthetic spray to fall back on. The ordinance does allow organic pest management, materials on the USDA National List, and federally designated minimum-risk products.
Who owns the yard matters too. The Census Bureau's 2024 one-year estimates put owner-occupied homes at about 43 percent of Portland's occupied housing, so a good share of landscape projects are for rental buildings and condominium associations, where plantings have to look right with modest care between visits.
Designing for weed pressure without herbicide
Dense plantings are the practical answer. Groundcovers and shrubs spaced to close the canopy within a few seasons leave little bare soil for weeds, and a clean mulch edge keeps turf from creeping into beds. In lawns, UMaine Extension's low-input guidance applies directly: mow at about three inches, keep soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5, and reseed bare spots as soon as they appear, because seed is the best defense against weeds.
Our landscaping work covers design, planting, hydroseeding and seasonal cleanups. Weekly residential mowing is not part of it.
Lots, open space and the islands
The Land Use Code sets a minimum share of every residential lot that must remain landscaped open space: 30 percent in most mainland neighborhood zones and 20 percent in RN-4. On the islands the numbers are larger. The IR-1 island zone requires 70 percent landscaped open space and caps building coverage at 20 percent, with a 40,000 square foot minimum lot, or 60,000 where public water is not available.
Island yards near the shore also bring in the shoreland rules, which reach 250 feet from tidal water and coastal wetlands. Inside the 75-foot buffer the code limits cleared openings and requires the low vegetation and leaf litter to stay, which steers island landscaping toward native shrubs and selective pruning rather than open lawn to the water.
Design · Planting · Cleanups
How we handle landscaping
We design and install residential landscapes across Cumberland and Greater Portland: plantings, hydroseeding, cleanups and the hardscape that ties the property together. Weekly residential mowing is not what we sell — full landscape work is.
See the full landscaping service page or everything we do in Portland, Maine.
Landscaping in nearby towns
- Landscaping in South Portland
- Landscaping in Falmouth
- Landscaping in Westbrook
- Landscaping in Scarborough
- Landscaping in Cape Elizabeth
More services in Portland
- Hardscaping in Portland
- Retaining Walls in Portland
- Landscape Design in Portland
- Planting & Garden Beds in Portland
- Hydroseeding, Sod & Turf in Portland
- Lawn Aeration & Overseeding in Portland
- Fall Cleanup & Leaf Removal in Portland
- Commercial Mowing & Cleanups in Portland
- Excavation & Land Clearing in Portland
- Septic Systems in Portland
- Tree & Shrub Services in Portland
- Tree Removal in Portland
Free Estimates
Landscaping in Portland? Let's talk.
Tell us about your property and we will walk it with you — free estimates, straight answers, stonework guaranteed to hold its lines.
Mon–Sat 7:00am – 5:00pm · Based in Cumberland, Maine