Last year my husband and I took an early fall trip to the
Pacific Northwest, with stops in Portland, Mount Saint Helens, Seattle (to
visit our son and daughter-in-law in their new home), Spokane, and Bend. In the
following posts I'll share the highlights of the experience, including
beautiful gardens and natural settings.
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| Moon Locking pavilion and Tower of Cosmic Reflections teahouse |
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| Knowing the Fish pavilion |
Downtown Portland, Oregon is home to the Lan Su Chinese Garden, which
is a walled garden that occupies a whole block. It is designed
to model a scholar garden for a wealthy, multi-generational family, as you
might find in Suzhou, China in the 1600s. It is a haven of tranquility in the heart of a busy city.
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| Courtyard with Lake Tai rocks, and viewing windows |
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| Mosaic path through a shady green sanctuary |
The name Lan Su is a compilation of sounds for Portland
("lan", also the word for orchid), and Suzhou ("su", also
the word of rise), and roughly translates to "Garden of Awakening
Orchids". Our very knowledgeable docent greeted us in the Courtyard of
Tranquility for an introduction. The garden was designed and constructed in
Suzhou, China (Portland's sister city), and then transported to Portland. The garden
was built and planted by a team of 65 artisans from China over a ten-month
period, and completed in 2000.
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| Pond with lilies and boat, and a view to buildings beyond |
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| The scholar's study |
Our docent then led us around the central lake, through the
scholar courtyard and study, to the fish and moon viewing pavilions, the tea
house, and the rock mountain and waterfall. We learned about the plants and the
rocks, and the architectural details. The garden was intended to be a sanctuary
for the family, and to provide a place for study and reflection.
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| Painted Boat in Misty Rain pavilion to the right |
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| Green on green planting, with a few hot colors |
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| Rock mountain and waterfall |
I was especially taken with the rock mosaic paths, the
bat-shaped drip tiles (used to create a curtain of rainwater), and the shapes
of the doors and windows. I appreciated learning that scholarship provided a
path to the middle or upper class for a bright, but poor student. I also
enjoyed the names, which are wonderfully poetic, like Hall of Brocade Clouds,
Flowers Bathing in Spring Rain, Painted Boat in Misty Rain, and Tower of Cosmic
Reflections.
My husband and I lingered in the garden after the tour to
appreciate the plants and flowers that were in bloom. After a quick freshen up
at the Hotel deLuxe, we headed for dinner at the Portland City Grill for
fabulous views of the city from 30 floors up, delicious food, and
great conversation about the beauty we had seen.
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| Lingering after the tour |
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