Japanese Tea Garden
An ancient gate opens a world of wonders at Portland's Japanese Tea Garden. Just a mile and a half from the center of the city, the garden offers an oasis that is truly reflective. The calming trill of the "Heavenly Falls" empties into a traditional koi pond. But the falls have a deeper meaning; they represent the Milky Way. And stones in another part of the garden are in the shape of the Japanese Island of Hokkaido. Planted in 1950, the garden honors Portland's sister city, Sapporo, Japan.
Leach Garden
Within 16 acres of densely planted land lies the garden legacy of Lilla and John Leach. Lilla, a renowned botanist, and her husband bought the property in the 1920s and for two decades they collected and catalogued plants of the Pacific Northwest. The Leaches are credited with discovering more than a dozen new plants, one of which bears their name--Kalmiopsis leachiana.
Elk Rock Garden
The Olmsted family designed some of America's most beautiful public parks. And when John Olmsted--the stepson of Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of Central Park--visited Portland in 1916, Robert Kerr begged a botanical favor of the landscape designer. Eighty years later, the indelible Olmsted mark is clear at Elk Rock Garden. Soaring white oaks and sequoia frame Portland views, including the island of Elk Rock. And on this 10-acre estate, verdant lawns and serene walkways lead visitors on a path to discover all of the garden's secrets.
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