Better Avenue isn't a franchise or a big crew operation. It's a small, personal landscaping service built by someone who grew up in Portland and cares about the neighborhoods we work in.
I grew up in inner SE Portland, in the same neighborhoods I work in today. I started doing landscape maintenance work during my time at the University of Oregon, taking on customers in Eugene every fall and spring between classes, then coming back to Portland each summer to keep at it. After graduating with a business degree in 2010, I chose this work over an office. I've spent the 15 years since building Better Avenue one yard at a time, and I've never looked back.
I know these blocks. I know which properties stay wet through May. I know how relentless the blackberry gets if you skip a season. I know which corner of your lawn gets too much shade and which gets scorched by the August dry spell. That kind of knowledge only comes from years on the same streets, and it shows in the work.
My customers know me by name, and I know them by theirs. I keep track of what you prefer, how you like things done, and what your yard actually needs, not what earns me more money. Scheduling is flexible: weekly, biweekly, monthly, or one-time, whatever fits your situation.
Better Avenue is a small operation by design. When I bring help, it's one of a small circle of trusted friends, not someone who just started last week. I'd rather do excellent work for a focused group of neighbors who can count on a familiar face every single visit. References are available on request. Just ask.
Ben Ballard, Owner & Founder
Better Avenue Lawn & Landscape · Portland, OR
"I want my customers to look out their window on a Tuesday morning, see the yard, and feel good. That's the whole job."
Ben Ballard
We don't need a wall of corporate-speak. Here's what actually guides how we work.
We show up when we say we will. If something changes, we communicate. Always in advance, never with excuses.
Your estimate is your price. We tell you what your yard actually needs, not what earns us the most money.
We care about the quality of the cut, the edge of the bed, the look of the finished work. Every time.
We live and work in the same neighborhoods as our customers. That's not a marketing line. It's accountability.
We deliberately limit our service area to the inner east side of Portland. This isn't a limitation. It's a commitment. Staying close means we can offer more responsive scheduling, better knowledge of local conditions, and consistent crews who know your street and your yard.
We currently serve the following neighborhoods and their immediate surroundings:
Not sure if your address is in range? Call or text us at 971-409-4558 and we'll let you know right away.
