gardens to visit in Portland

We have a meeting to attend in Portland in mid-April,but may want to extend our time there. Will the gardens in the area be worth seeing then? If so which are the best? My husband will go to a formal garden or two, but we also enjoy natural areas. Any recommendations??? We'll probably have a car,so a short day trip may be possible if it's somewhere spectacular.thanks,nancy

Ooh, Nancy, just wait until Portland, Beahive and Susybell get ahold of this thread. They'll have lots of recommendations, I'm sure!

That will be great. The more I can talk it up, the more he'll get excited too. After our horrendous summer(record heat and drought), combined with a record freeze last week has left me feeling very much in need of some "green" therapy.The vacation we took there in 1995 was one of our favorite family vacations. I'll never forget driving to the coast and seeing the most magnificent ferns growing huge on the ground.Even my husband said he had never seen so many shades of green as we did in Oregon. This time we won't have kids who we need to keep happy, so we can do whatever we want.

LOL, yes, we grow ferns and moss like nobody's business. I haven't been to these gardens, so you'll want to wait for recommendations, but here's what an online search turns up:

http://www.japanesegarden.com/

http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/

http://web.oregon.com/trips/portland_gardens.cfm

http://www.berrybot.org/

http://www.leachgarden.org/

http://www.rosegardenstore.org/thegardensoverview.cfm

Hi there....I haven't been around a lot, so I just saw this. Here's a few ideas for you...

The Chinese garden is unique in that it was one of the first ones in the US-and there's even a teahouse/restaurant attached-with very yummy (and deluxe) teas. It's not huge and has buildings and bridges and such, so if hubby isn't as much of a plant person it's got extra attractions.

Berry Botanical has a very large rhody collection, an amazing alpine garden and also a primrose collection. It's very pretty in the spring. Not sure exactly when the peak bloom of the rhodies would be-might want to check with them. It's in a neat (expensive) neighborhood-used to be someone's house, so it's quiet and rather private-feeling. They often want you to call ahead before coming as they have limited parking out of courtesy to the neighbors. Check the website before you visit.

Definitely too early for the roses at the Rose Garden. The Japanese garden is lovely, though.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is also really nice when the rhodies are blooming.
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=27&action=ViewPark

If you want nice hikes and a garden, and even some views if you're in the right spot, you might visit Hoyt Arboretum also:
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?action=ViewPark&PropertyID=189

If you've got a car and don't mind heading 20 miles or so north of Portland, up in Woodland, Wa is something a little different. Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens is also a small garden, but it's preserved to maintain the Victorian feeling. Every spring they have a lilac festival. It's April 17-May 10th this year. Hulda Klager hybridized lilacs in the early 1900's and you can still buy some of her cultivars today during the festival. Probably not at the level of "spectacular", but unique, anyway. http://www.lilacgardens.com/index.html

Somehow, I've never gotten around to going to Leach Botanical Garden. It's supposed to be a great garden, and I've bought some interesting plants from them at plant sales, but I just haven't gotten there, for whatever reason. Don't take my non-recommendation as a criticism of the garden, though, please! It really is supposed to be pretty special.

Don't know if you like hikes particularly, but it's a great way to see our ferns up close! So, here's another walk/hike suggestion for you. ;) The Trail of Ten Falls hike at Silver Falls state park. The whole thing is something like 8 miles, but there are a total of 10 waterfalls and it's not really a steep hike, like most of the waterfall hikes in the gorge.You walk down into the Canyon, and then back up at the other end, and it's not that deep of a canyon. (About 400 ft elevation gain/loss instead of 2000-4000ft in the gorge) Plus, there's a point at about falls #7 that you can take an alternate route back and cut off probably a mile or two. Or you can just walk a little and turn around and see a couple of them.
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_211.php
IF you get out to Silver Falls, then you're quite close to Silverton and the Oregon Garden, which is more commercial but quite nice. Beahive is the expert on what to see and do at the Oregon Garden.

Oh, and if you're here the right weekend, The Hardy Plant Society Plant sale is April 17th and 18th-and it's a really great plant sale, highly recommended. http://www.hardyplantsociety.org/plantsale.htm

Depending on how much time you have, you could even take the train up to Seattle and stay overnight. It's about a 3hr train trip and a lot more interesting than driving up I-5...

Not sure if you've done this before or not, and I don't know how the roads will be by then, depends on the snowfall at the higher elevations, but there's sort of a back road around Mt St. Helens that's technically a Forest Service road, (FS 25) but it is paved. It's quite scenic-lots and lots of ferns ;) and even a volcano. There is a route to a couple of viewpoints of the crater that is pretty interesting-and that you can't get to except by the back route. Of course, the main route in from I-5 will most likely be open by then, but the Johnston Ridge visitor center won't reopen until mid May (budget cuts)
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/volcano-review/documents/Page7_2009_VR_72dpi.pdf

Well, that's more than enough from me to get you started..... I'll get out of here and maybe Beahive & Portland1 will pop in with some more ideas. :)

edited to add link to Hulda Klager and fix late-night typos. ;)

This message was edited Jan 19, 2010 11:08 AM

Thanks Susybell, You've given me lots of ideas to look into. I have been looking at pictures of the Japanese Gardens. They sound absolutely beautiful.
Does public transportation make it easy to get around in Portland? On the visitor website it makes it look easy. But it sounds like it is a long uphill hike from the light rail station to the Japanese Gardens. I can hike distances, but not on steep grades(old knee problem)thanks nancy

Hi Nancy,
Well, first caveat about info about public transportation around Portland from me. I live in Vancouver, WA, across the Columbia R. As is fairly typical, the interconnections between separate systems aren't perfect, and throw in two separate states and it gets interesting. In fact, there's long term and very vociferous debate about that round these parts, but I won't get into that. :) That's the long version of saying I usually end up driving everywhere. :)

That said, Portland is known for having good public transit. Looking up the park and transit, there is a bus that goes through the park, at least during the week, that would at least get you to the right side of the park from the Max train (the Hoyt Arboretum, Zoo, and Rose Garden are also in the same complex, which is large). What I can't tell is how close it will get you to the gates of the Japanese Garden. Here's the link to the transit system, known as TriMet: http://trimet.org/ And, a link to the Max description of getting to the park. There's a link to the Wash. park bus from there. http://trimet.org/max/stations/wapkss.htm
Aha, the Japanese garden website itself says that there is a weekend shuttle bus (daily during summer) from the Max parking lot to the admission gate. http://www.japanesegarden.com/visiting/directions. I'm not quite sure when they start the daily shuttles-maybe drop them an email? I've found conflicting info on the website.

Thanks Susybell, That's what is nice about having "real" people to ask. ( my husband has finally begun to understand what I mean when I say "someone on Dave's".) The websites don't quite answer all my questions. Somewhere I read that it is about a mile from the train to the gates and it is definitely uphill.I don't want to use all my "walking" time getting there, and find myself worn out and not able to enjoy it. it looks like the tram the Japanese Garden talks about only runs in the summer. But the bus looks like a good option.If that is too complicated I can always just get a cab from the hotel if we don't have a car.

Well, it looks to me like the shuttle does run on weekends during the offseason, so if you stick around through a weekend it might not be much of a problem. But, you might just motivate me to revisit the garden, lol!

In any case, you definitely don't want to walk from the Max train to the garden. You'd be better off taking one of the other buses that serves the other side of the park instead of the train-and even that route is uphill. Basically, the park complex folds over the top of a ridge. The Max train and Zoo is on one side, the Japanese garden and Rose Garden on the other side. The Japanese Garden is on the slope, the Rose Garden on the flat. (The arboretum is basically on the top and down both sides.)

(My hubby gets to hear me talk about "someone on Dave's", all the time, too. ;) Sometimes he counters with something from one of his forums, just to even it up a bit ;) )

Hey, I found this terrain map that might help to visualize it.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=japanese+garden+portland+oregon&sll=47.683908,-122.174918&sspn=0.223272,0.617294&ie=UTF8&hq=japanese+garden&hnear=Portland,+OR&ll=45.51988,-122.689991&spn=0.029047,0.077162&t=p&z=14

I highly recommend the Japanese Garden. It is just magical.

The info is so helpful in helping decide I definitely do NOT want to hike from the train to the garden. I see that there is another Asian garden(Lan Su?) more north of the Japanese Garden. Since the Rose Garden will not be in bloom yet, which one would you recommend and why? The pictures of both look just stunning.

I just heard about a brand new tourism guide for this area created by National Geographic called The Central Cascades Geotourism Mapguide. I thought you might like to check it out. Lots of natural area info and beautifully produced. You can download a pdf of it

http://thecentralcascades.com/mapguide/

Thanks Susybell, I'll check it out!

I thought I'd posted this reply yesterday... problem with using two different PC's.

Yes, Lan Su is the Chinese Garden. It's flat and in downtown Chinatown. Very easy access! It has a very different feel, it's a small courtyard garden, much busier in style. I find it very interesting to visit both. The Japanese borrowed and then simplified a lot of the Chinese ideas and styles into their own. It really is a beautiful garden. I'd recommend visiting there as well. :)

I would want to go to joy creek I think it is out in saccopse or something like that. You need to go to go places where you can shop. Buy plants. Feed the fire. Northwest nurseries is also great. I would look at the Northwest Perennial book on garden open. Thats where you can find cool ones. Just a though

LOL, Heidi. Scappoose.

http://www.joycreek.com/directions.htm

It would make for a fun trip, though, to order plants and then have them waiting for you when you return home . . .

Well, I can see that this forum has lots of people that would love to see me spend all my time and money on my trip lusting after plants! I'm learning slowly to just admire the loveliness I see in gardens far outside my zone, that the plants that look so beautiful in Oregon, will most likely need more water and less sun than I can provide here in texas.That's why I love to visit gardens while on vacation. Things you take for granted(or may even be invasive) in your area are only dreams in mine. Don't get me wrong, I love my garden but I'm sure I dont' have a chance of recreating the lushness of PNW.(unless of course I win the lottery!)

This message was edited Jan 23, 2010 9:44 AM

Thanks for the info on the mapguide, susybell. I will see about getting myself a copy.

Well, Nancy, if you want plants for your climate, you should go to Cistus Nursery instead of Joy Creek. They're the "Zone Denial" folks. The owner used to work at UC Berkeley's arboretum as a horticulturist, where he managed the New World Desert, as well as Australia/New Zealand, Africa, and California-cultivar gardens. So he's quite familiar with warmer climate plants. Isn't that helpful to know? They also do mail order...

(No, us PNW-ers aren't huge enablers...not in the least.. Definitely not the least, anyhow. "Gigantic" might be the better word choice, lol ;) )

www.cistus.com

Suzybell now I didn't put cistus down because I didn't want to light the fire for me to look so you had to go and put in on there. Not raining here so I have to go outside and work but maybe tonight I'll look they have updated there website so I MUST CHECK IT OUT. For business purposes only.

Heidi, lol, at least their website is fairly low-key. Helps the plant lust stay under control, a bit, anyway ;)

Sharon, I forgot to include a "you're welcome!" this morning. Even the downloadable pdf is beautiful, and it does include your area-goes further north, even. :)