Learn about native species, meander along Johnson Creek, and glimpse into the past of a romantic botanist's home in the mid 1900's.
The Leach Botanical Garden was the home of botanist Lilla Leach and her husband John, bought back in 1930. There's a lovely spread of native plants to explore including rhododendrons, red cedar, all kinds of ferns, mushrooms, and slugs galore!
These are the same plants you'll see all over the Pacific Northwest, but this time with helpful signs labeling the species so you can really decipher the differences between them. In addition to the plant life, (cool side fact: Lilla discovered 5 species previously unknown to science!), you can explore Johnson Creek, the Leach's elegant main house, and their storybook stone cabin and fireplace across the water.
The stone cabin is delightful! The couple lived here while the main house was being built, throwing summer parties in the garden, and you can easily imagine the scene: The large outdoor fireplace cackling in the moonlight, the creek cascading quietly a stone's throw away, and the stone facade encircling the fireplace a perfect place for Lilla's fellow botanists to set their cocktails down amid the moss.
Basically it's The Great Gatsby meets one of those mini-fairy gardens, blown up to human size.
Admission is currently free but once construction is finished there will be an admission charge. So go swiftly, my friends!
Distance from Portland: 0 - 15 minutes, depending on where you start
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