Few venues offer as much respite from the confines of an indoor meeting room as gardens. Throughout the West, particularly in those places blessed by a year-round growing season, there are an abundance of verdant outdoor botanical venues, many of which showcase local culture as well as plants and flowers.
With fascinating environments that range from ginger-scented Hawaiian rainforest to prickly Arizona desert, the choices for a garden gathering are as varied as the Western landscape itself. Here are a few places to consider for upcoming events.
Portland Classical Chinese Garden
In Portland, Ore., the Portland Classical Chinese Garden displays an authentic Asian atmosphere in which visitors can enjoy teahouses, lily ponds, rock gardens and ornate pavilions.
An oasis of tranquility best describes this venue, which is owned and operated by the city of Portland. Adding to its appeal for meetings, the garden is accessible either by walking from downtown hotels or by taking the super-sleek and streamlined MAX light rail system that departs from the Oregon Convention Center.
Opened Sept. 14, 2000, the Chinese Garden is one of the newest public gardens in the continental U.S. and has become one of Portland’s most popular attractions. The meticulously designed garden highlights Portland’s close association with its sister city, Suzhou, which is located 60 miles from Shanghai in China’s Jiangsu Province.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the venue is an authentic replica of a traditional Chinese garden—so much so that over 60 Suzhou artisans were brought to Portland to construct the site. Over 90 percent of the garden is devoted to plants indigenous to China.
The garden itself can easily accommodate up to 300 guests, whereas the delightful two-story, heated Chinese teahouse, with its colored lanterns, Chinese furnishings and pond views, is a popular spot for gatherings of 50 or less.
The garden and teahouse, which requires a separate fee, can be rented before or after regular public hours. While the garden is primarily an outdoor venue, all pavilions and most walkways are covered.
An event staff works with planners to coordinate event needs and offers an approved list of caterers. While champagne, beer, white wine and sake are all permitted, no red or orange beverages can be served because of potential damage to the rare clay and limestone floors.
Filoli
Thirty miles south of San Francisco in Woodside is one of Northern California’s most glorious gardens, offering formal terraces planted with wisteria and magnolia trees in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The 654-acre estate, part of the National Trust and a California Historic Landmark, has long been a popular filming site for movies and TV shows.
Filoli’s centerpiece, a handsome brick Georgian-style mansion, was made famous as the introductory shot for the 1980s television series Dynasty. In addition, the movies Heaven Can Wait and, more recently, The Wedding Planner, were filmed at Filoli.
The house and gardens, which are closed November through January, are available for half- and full-day rental for private events during the rest of the year. The Visitor and Education Center is available for rent from February through the end of October.
A list of approved caterers will be provided by the event staff. No red wine is allowed for events and the facility is only available during business hours; no evening events are allowed. Guided tours for $10 per person can be added; self-guided tours are complimentary.
Quail Botanical Gardens
Located north of San Diego in Encinitas, Calif., Quail Botanical Gardens features over 35 acres of exhibits, desert gardens, tropical rainforest and rare bamboo groves. Quail is best known, however, for introducing the West Coats’s first interactive children’s garden.
The gardens’ origins can be traced back to 1937 when Charles and Ruth Larabee landscaped their estate with exotic plants they had collected from their travels. Cork oaks, cycads, aloes, cacti and hibiscus are all part of Quail’s permanent plant collection.
The Larabees became actively involved in educating young people about gardens. The Quail Garden Foundation, which now manages the gardens, has initiated educational programs for all ages.
The gardens are adaptable for a variety of outdoor events. The Walled Garden accommodates up to 100 people, while the Waterfall View Deck, in a secluded location overlooking a three-story waterfall, holds up to 25. Numerous other areas available to groups include the Herb Garden and Bamboo Grove, which are two of the most popular choices.
The grounds also include several indoor sites for events, including, the Ecke Building, Larabee House and Lawn House. The Victorian Gazebo in the center of the gardens can accommodate up to 300 people standing and 250 for a seated event.
The garden staff provides a list of caterers, but groups can use an outside caterer for an additional fee. Capacity is limited to 300 for both daytime and after-hours events.
Desert Botanical Garden
Open-air pavilions, scenic courtyards and cacti aplenty await guests at this stunning Phoenix venue showcasing the unique flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert. African iris, marigolds, desert flowers and Trident sage are just a few of the plants flourishing in this exotic enclave located right within city limits.
Nestled amid the red buttes of Papago Park, the Desert Botanical Garden displays one of the world’s finest collections of desert plants and flowers. A charter member of the Museum Association of Arizona and National Center for Plant Conservation, the garden includes over 50 acres of outdoor exhibits and some 139 rare and endangered plants.
There are a variety of areas within the park that are available for events, including Dorrance Hall and the Boppert Courtyard, which together are able to accommodate 400 for a cocktail reception.
The Ullman Terrace can accommodate 150 for a seated dinner, while the Webster Auditorium seats up to 100. The auditorium, one of the garden’s most-requested sites for corporate events, has charming French doors that open onto Eliot Patio, which offers a spectacular view of the garden and buttes.
The Herb Garden is another popular venue and can accommodate up to 75 people for late afternoon and evening events. The Binns Wildflower Pavilion, surrounded by desert wildflowers, holds up to 125. The garden’s most intimate site is the Whiteman Room, which is suitable for groups of 30 or less.
Van Dusen Botanical Garden
In the heart of Vancouver, British Columbia’s bustling downtown is the 55-acre Van Dusen Botanical Garden, where an impressive collection of over 255,000 plants are found. The garden’s main attractions, however, are the various ecosystems that are showcased within the park, ranging from tropical Africa to the Himalayas and the Canadian Arctic.
Encompassing an environment of shimmering lakes and rolling lawns, the gardens are home to more than 60 bird species and also provide stellar views of the Vancouver skyline and nearby mountains.
Paved pathways lined with bamboo, magnolia trees and azaleas link a variety of theme gardens, including a large formal garden, a children’s garden and the new Canadian Heritage Garden.
Other highlights include the Elizabethan Hedge Maze, a replica of the intricate mazes found on English estates, and 11 pieces of outdoor sculpture created by local and international artists.
The gardens, open everyday except Christmas, feature several areas available for events, including Floral Hall, a spacious room able to accommodate up to 120 people for a banquet and 150 for a lecture. The Cedar Room can host up to 50 people seated theater style or 20 people at workshop tables.
Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden
A lush paradise of fragrant trees and exotic blooms await at the Hawaiian Tropical Garden, which lies in a valley outside Hilo on the island of Hawaii. The site has the distinction of being the only tropical botanical garden in the U.S. on a seacoast.
Palms, heliconias and bromeliads are among the 2,000 plant varieties that make this garden a popular visitor attraction and event site. Nature trails wind through a tropical rainforest crossing streams, waterfalls and ocean vistas along Onomea Bay. The vegetation-chocked 40-acre valley is a natural greenhouse where mango trees and coconut palms, some over 100 years old, flourish.
Trails meander through the garden, including one leading to a three-tiered waterfall that is one of Hawaii's most captivating. The Heliconia Trail is lined with over 80 plant varieties, including the wild and vibrantly colorful heliconia plant.
Dan Lutkenhouse, the man responsible for creating and cultivating this extraordinary garden paradise, purchased the land in 1977 and invested more than $2 million to ensure that the gardens will remain protected for all to enjoy.
The Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden can be rented for special events for up to 300 people. One of the most requested areas for events is the Onomea Bay Oceanfront site, which can accommodate up to 70.
For More Info
Desert Botanical Garden
480.941.1225 www.dbg.org
Filoli 650.364.8300 www.filoli.org
Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden 808.964.5233 www.htbg.com
Portland Classical Chinese Garden 503.228.5131 www.portlandchinesegarden.org
Quail Botanical Gardens 760.436.3036 www.qbgardens.org
Van Dusen Botanical Garden 604.257.8663 www.vancouver.ca/parks
