Lan Su Chinese Garden

This treasure box of a garden sits on one block in the midst of downtown Portland. Once you are inside, the outside bustle of the real world seems to melt away. I absolutely loved this garden and you will have to forgive this photo-heavy post. Every step and every turn revealed a postcard vista.

The name of the garden is interpreted as "Garden of Awakening Orchids". The name represents the relationship between Portland and Suzhou, Portland's sister city in China's Jiangsu province.

The garden was created in 2000 on a parking lot donated by Northwest Natural. Most of the materials used in the creation of the garden came from China, including 500 tons of rock. Sixty-five artisans from Suzhou lived in Portland for 10 months while they assembled the structures that were made in China. More than 300 plant species that are found in traditional Chinese gardens grow here. Lan Su is considered the most authentic garden outside of China.

You enter the garden in the Courtyard of Tranquility, a courtyard that you would
find at the home of a wealthy family.

The Terrace

Painted Boat in Misty Rain - This pavillion represents the friendship that departed from Suzhou
and made its way to Portland.

Rock Mountain and Waterfall - mimics a rugged mountain range complete with streams and waterfalls.

The Tea House - "Tower of Cosmic Reflections"
where you can enjoy tea and snacks with views of the garden.

The Scholar's Courtyard is a quiet place for study and inspiration.

Moongate entrance to the Scholar's Courtyard.

 

Knowing the Fish Pavillion

 

 

Windows and doors are found throughout the garden. They form views within views and create the illusion of infinite space.

Chinese gardens are designed to engage all the senses. The sense of feel is achieved with these exquisite pebble mosaics. I wanted to walk barefoot over these paths but resisted the temptation.

The sense of smell, provided here by Confederate Jasmine.

As I made my way through the garden, I noticed that most of the plants were plants that I grow in my own garden. Persicaria "Red Dragon" (Fleece Flower) is a favorite.

Plants in the Chinese Garden are symbolic. The noble evergreen pine reminds one to presevere. The pine, along with plum and bamboo are collectively known as the "Three Friends of Winter."

A beautiful grouping of some of my favorite plants - Weeping Willow, hydrangea,
lorepetalum and Japanese Maple.

 
Next up - Scott Weber's garden!

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

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Lan Su Chinese Garden

Portland Japanese Garden

The tranquil Japanese Garden in Portland covers 5.5 acres and overlooks the city. It is the most authentic Japanese garden outside Japan. I actually made two trips to this garden (the $9.50 admission price was well worth it). On my first trip, it was Sunday afternoon and the place was packed. Bright sun and cloudless skies were not optimal for good photos. I returned the following evening about one hour before closing time and then it was almost too dark because of the deeply shaded location. I didn't take my tripod on the trip so getting good photos was sometimes a challenge. The second trip was much more peaceful and there were very few people in the garden. If you are in Portland, this is a "must see"!
 

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

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Portland Japanese Garden

Ten days in Portland

I've just spent a glorious ten days in Portland, Oregon and returned with 1330 photos. I've always wanted to see the Pacific Northwest and a chance came up on the spur of the moment. Our friends Todd, Rebecca and daughter McKenzie just sold their home here in Florence and they are moving to Portland. Rebecca and McKenzie were heading out there to find a house and I tagged along.

We spent three days looking at houses (which was fun and I learned some things about real estate) before Rebecca found the house she wanted. It was a great opportunity to see the various neighborhoods of Portland. It was then time to play and I toured the incredible Japanese Gardens, Rose Garden, Lan Su Chinese Garden, Multnomah Falls, etc. and had some fantastic food. I'll do a post on each place I visited but for now, some various photos of what is to come and words to describe Portland:

SCENIC (the Columbia River Gorge) - I would not necessarily want to live in the city
but I would love to live in this area.

GARDENING - Okay, I knew there would be lots of gardens in Portland but what I wasn't prepared for was the fact that almost every home has an extensive garden. It is the complete opposite from Alabama. Here, you might see one or two fabulous gardens in a neighborhood but in Portland, almost every home has one. And they are gardens like this! It was mind blowing.

ECO-FRIENDLY - Portland is a very green city - everyone recycles and it is very easy to find freshly grown organic produce. This stand was inside a market/restaurant called "Proper Eats" in the St. Johns community where Rebecca found their house.

TASTY - I had some incredible meals and my favorite came from a charming little vegan restaurant called "The Loving Hut" in downtown. This was sooooooo good. We went there twice!

SHOPPING - I'm not much of a shopper but an underwear store for men? Color me happy!!

ACCESSIBLE - Portland is a large city spread out over a wide area but it is easy to get to any part of the city via the Public Transit System which provides bus, light rail and commuter rail transit services. I didn't get a chance to ride the bus but everyone said that I had to experience it - maybe next time! I'm not sure who these folks were walking in front of us - pilots?

ARCHITECTURE - There are many beautiful buildings, old and new, but surprisingly, not too many skyscrapers. The city is similar to Florence in that it expands outward instead of upward.

BRIDGES - This is just one of the many bridges that cross into the downtown area. The most beautiful is the St. Johns Bridge that I will show you in a later post.

TRAFFIC - One thing I didn't like about Portland was that there were just way too many people and the traffic was horrendous if you ventured out during peak hours (I know, it doesn't look like that in this photo!). However, the traffic did move at a slow pace so it wasn't frantic or nerve wracking like Birmingham. The speed limit on the freeways was usually 55 and under. Drivers are very courteous!

FUNNY - A crocheted planter cover - why not?

ROSES - Portland is the city of roses and you see them everywhere, even along the freeways. Wait until you see the Rose Garden!

AWE-INSPIRING NATURE

And yes Weird! - delightfully so!

Up next - the Japanese Gardens.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

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Ten days in Portland