2014 - Garden Bloggers Fling - Portland Japanese Garden

Our first stop on the second day of the 2014 Garden Blogger's Fling was at the Portland Japanese Gardens. It was another warm, sunny morning so the photography was a challenge again. Thank goodness for Photoshop.

With the challenging light, I stuck to the shadows and focused on the details. And of course those wonderful details were plentiful in such a well-designed Japanese garden.

Just as at the Lan Su Chinese Garden, I really enjoyed the pathways. While the Chinese Garden paths were composed of intricate stone mosaic patterns, the Japanese walkways appeared much more natural and embracing of the imperfect. The Chinese garden paths are all about pattern and geometry while the Japanese paths exemplify the concept of wabi-sabi, or that of embracing imperfection. I have to say I enjoy both styles equally.

Other constructed elements were beautifully integrated into the landscape - from the tree-framed gravel garden to the simple linear bench perched upon a rock wall.

Even natural parts of the landscape like the ponds and plants benefit from a bit of human touch such as some well-placed rocks or smoothly clipped azaleas. Even though Japanese gardens are high maintenance, those that maintain the gardens respect the wildness of nature and attempt to allow us to see that wildness more clearly by offsetting the perfect with the imperfect.

That contrast creates a beautiful tension at the Portland Japanese Garden. 

2012 APLD Conference Peninsula Garden Tours, #1

Our group started out our Peninsula garden tours with a stop at Bernard Trainor's well-published garden with curving concrete wall and wide spilling water feature. I was really happy to get to see this garden after seeing so many photos of it. We entered through some well-made steel gates. The house itself was very beautiful. The large windows reflected the garden nicely. 

The front garden has groves of Arbutus 'Marina' which are underplanted with swaths of mounding grasses. Apparently they have had trouble with dieback on some of the Arbutus 'Marina'. It is a hybrid tree with one of its parents being the notoriously hard-to-grow Arbutus menziesii, from which it gets its pretty red peeling bark. Arbutus 'Marina' is a good bit easier to grow than A. menziesii, but I guess it still can have issues from time to time. 

Check out these fantastically gorgeous front doors. Also in the front entry is an insectary from Flora Grubb. I'm curious about how these expensive bug houses will age. How long will they look good? Will the owners still keep them around as the bugs that they were made for inhabit them? They will inevitable look unkempt with cobwebs and broken down organic material as the bugs start to use them as homes. I kind of doubt people will want them next to their front doors then. 

The path continues around the side of the house. I like the way the red in the stone picks up the red bark of the tree trunks. The plantings are a study in muted simplicity. I love gardens that use a subtle color palette. I find it very relaxing, with the interest and excitement found in the combining of textures and shapes. 

The back patio is surrounded by the well-known curving concrete bench. In addition to the relaxing plant palette, the slowly overflowing water basin gives a sense of peacefulness to the space. I love the crunch of gravel underfoot, which naturally slows one down as well. The resin table and bench add a nice pop of color. 

A nice transition from the house leads one to the simple rectangular pool. I love the detailing, especially how the spa fits into the shape of the pool. 

Past the outdoor kitchen is the attractively screened utility area. Walking around the other side of the house leads you under a beautifully branching oak to complete the garden tour. A very lovely garden, I was so glad to get to see it in person.