ABC Wednesday: The Portland Japanese Garden

On my recent trip to Oregon, I had the opportunity to visit the Portland Japanese Garden. Opened to the public in 1967, the garden has been described by a former Ambassador of Japan to the U.S. as "the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan."

Situated on 5 1/2 acres above the city, this magnificent garden can be reached via a free shuttle or a short climb up stone steps. If you are able, the walk through the Antique Gate and up the steeply ascending pathway is worth the exercise to give a glimpse of the beauty that lies within.

Several vantage points within the garden provide panoramic views of the city of Portland with Mount Hood in the distance.

While the garden was designed to be as authentic as possible, over time it has evolved, incorporating more plants native to the Pacific Northwest. You will find a magnificent example of a Japanese maple like the one above.

But you will also see the tall black pines surrounding the garden, providing a dense canopy of shade.

"Japanese gardens have an ancient history influenced by Shinto, Buddhist, and
Taoist philosphies. Upon entering a Japanese garden the hope is to realize
a sense of peace, harmony, and tranquility."

"Three primary elements are used in every Japanese garden design: stone, the "bones" of the landscape; water, the life-giving force; and plants, the tapestry of the four seasons. Other important elements include stone lanterns, water basins, arbors, and bridges."

Antique pagoda lantern given to Portland by its Sister City, Sapporo, Japan.
Stones at its base are in the shape of the island of Hokkaido.

The Portland Garden includes five different garden styles--the Flat Garden, the Stroll Garden, the Tea Garden, the Natural Garden, and the Sand and Stone Garden.

The Natural Garden takes the visitor down the hillside along small streams and waterfalls. Ferns, trees, and mosses grow in their natural state here.

Besides the authentic Moon Bridge (not pictured here), the visitor can walk across the Zig Zag Bridge past beds of ferns and iris.

The element of water is represented throughout the garden, most dramatically by the Heavenly Falls which rush into the koi-filled Lower Pond. In front of the falls are seven paving stones representing the Big Dipper.

The Sand and Stone Garden is the most abstract of all the gardening styles. Most of us would think of this as a "Zen Garden," but the proper name is Karesansui, meaning "dry landscape."

The sand is carefully raked to suggest the sea.

Near the Flat Garden is the Poetry Stone, which is inscribed with a haiku:

"Here, miles from Japan
I stand as if warmed by the
Spring sunshine of home."

I have visited several Japanese gardens over the years, including a newer garden on our local university campus, but I've never seen one as large or as beautiful as Portland's. While it's not a gardening style I would ever attempt at home, a Japanese garden always inspires awe in me. Walking through the gates, one cannot help but feel a pervading sense of peace and serenity.

"This is a place to discard worldly thoughts and concerns and see oneself as a small but integral part of the universe." *

* All quotes taken from the brochure provided to visitors by the Portland Japanese Garden.

For other topics on the letter J this week, visit the ABC blog sponsored by Mrs. Nesbitt and the ABC Team.

An update on my last post: Our local radio station has come to the rescue once again. The mystery swarms of bugs have been identified as soybean aphids. Apparently, our cool, wet summer provided an ideal breeding ground for them this year. And incidentally--note to Monica--their favorite place to breed is in buckthorn:)