With its moist, temperate climate and lush natural environment, it’s little wonder that the Pacific Northwest boasts an unusual number of spectacular gardens. Many are not only open for public enjoyment, but also make splendid settings for events, whether in the gardens themselves or in adjoining historic buildings.
Along with their flowers and foliage, gardens in Oregon and Washington can also offer insight into the heritage and ethnic diversity of the region. Here are a few of the most noteworthy garden venues to consider.
Oregon
Lan Su Chinese Garden, Portland
A window on Chinese culture in the midst of downtown Portland, the Lan Su Chinese Garden is one of the city’s most popular venues for receptions and other events, according to Megan Conway, spokeswoman for Travel Portland.
“It’s a beautiful venue that provides a totally different atmosphere within walking distance of many hotels—groups love it,” she says.
Lan Su, which was built by artisans from Suzhou, China, Portland’s sister city, is modeled after a classical Ming dynasty garden. It’s a place where winding walkways, a bridged lake and open pavilions frame an exquisitely arranged landscape of plants, water, stone and traditional Chinese architecture. The garden is home to more than 90 specimen trees and many rare and unusual shrubs and perennials, including rhododendrons, camellias and bamboo.
The garden and its charming two-story teahouse can be rented for events ranging from intimate dinners to receptions for up to 300 people. In addition, the garden can be the setting for guided tours, tai chi lessons, art shows and musical performances.PageBreak
The Oregon Garden, Silverton
Located in Silverton, the Oregon Garden is an 80-acre botanical garden featuring more than 20 specialty gardens showcasing the diverse botanical variety of the Willamette Valley. It also includes a wetlands habitat and the Rediscovery Forest, a unique collection of miniature conifers.
Event spaces within the garden include a large picnic area within the Rediscovery Forest and The Bosque, a plaza in the center of the garden accommodating up to 250 people for receptions and outdoor seated meals. Groups can also tour the Frank Lloyd Wright Gordon House, which was moved to the garden in 2007 and is the only Wright-designed building in the Pacific Northwest open to the public.
“We can put together private tours of the gardens and even do wine-tasting events—we have a lot of options,” says Brittney Hatteberg, marketing manager for The Oregon Garden and the adjacent Oregon Garden Resort, which offers accommodations, a spa, a restaurant and several garden-themed meeting rooms for up to 600 people.
Connie Hansen Garden Conservancy, Lincoln City
Just over an acre, this delightful garden in coastal Lincoln City features a collection of over 100 types of rhododendron, plus varieties of dogwoods, magnolias, heather, Japanese maples, iris, primroses, geraniums and more. The garden was a 20-year labor of love for Connie Hansen, a local artist and gardening enthusiast.
Along with group tours, the venue offers the Garden House for meetings and events. With a capacity for up to 40, it includes an art gallery available for meetings and classes, a catering kitchen, a covered patio and a small private garden.
Village Green Resort, Cottage Grove
Known for its historic covered bridges, Cottage Grove, located 25 miles south of Eugene in Lane County, is home to Village Green Resort, a secluded 84-room property surrounded by 14 acres of exquisite gardens reflecting a variety of themes. They include the Golden Garden, planted with golden foliage and blue flowers; the Woodland, a lush enclave of ferns and trilliums; and the Petite Tropicana, a protected oasis for exotic plants. Guided tours of the gardens are available. The resort offers indoor meeting space for up to 225 people and outdoor areas for up to 300.
Oakwood Gardens, Washington County
Part of a 70-acre alpaca ranch in the Washington County town of Hillsboro, Oakwood Gardens provides several landscaped areas for events, including an English cottage garden, a pond with a waterfall, a sanctuary garden with a reflecting pond and woodlands. The grounds include gazebos and a tea house equipped for meetings or catered events.PageBreak
WASHINGTON
Lakewold Gardens, Gravelly Lake
Just minutes from downtown Tacoma on the shores of Gravelly Lake, Lakewold Gardens offers a gracious manor house set among 10 acres of exquisite gardens. Built as a country retreat in 1908, Lakewold is known for its dazzling display of rhododendrons, along with camellias, roses and secluded woodlands ablaze with color during the fall.
Its centerpiece, the Wagner House, can host everything from executive retreats in an upstairs boardroom overlooking the gardens to gala receptions for up to 125 people in the elegant former living room leading out to a wisteria-draped terrace. There is also a glass-framed sunroom for smaller events.
Washington Park Arboretum, Lake Washington
On the shores of Lake Washington, the Washington Park Arboretum, jointly operated by the University of Washington and the city of Seattle, offers 230 acres planted with over 40,000 trees, vines and shrubs from around the world. Along with strolling among the specimen plants, canoeing, kayaking and picnicking are popular activities.
Among its highlights is the Seattle Japanese Garden, a serene world of koi ponds and meandering walkways lined with maple and willow trees. It offers a meeting room for up to 50 people where traditional Japanese tea ceremonies can also be arranged. The arboretum’s main event spaces are located in the Graham Visitors Center and the Center for Urban Horticulture, both of which offers a variety of conference rooms. For outdoor gatherings, there are several lawn and garden areas available.
Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island
On Bainbridge Island, just offshore from Seattle, the Bloedel Reserve is a magnificently varied public garden encompassing woodlands of cedar, fir and Himalayan birch trees, a camellia-lined trail, a formal Japanese garden, a rhododendron glen and a rare moss garden surrounding a reflecting pool. The reserve is also a sanctuary for blue herons, kingfishers and migratory ducks.
For groups, Bloedel offers customized guided tours and event space in the Virginia Merrill Education Center for small retreats, board meetings and workshops. Located in a secluded woodland area, the center has a full kitchen and two breakout rooms.
Yakima Area Arboretum, Yakima
The south-central Washington city of Yakima is home to the Yakima Area Arboretum, 46 acres of display gardens, lawns and woodlands. Along with a butterfly habitat, visitors will find gardens devoted to roses, 100-year-old oak trees, ornamental fruit trees, herbs, Japanese landscaping and more.
The arboretum’s Jewett Interpretive Center, which offers two garden-view meeting rooms linked by a glass atrium, provides event space for up to 150 people. Outdoor space for small groups is available in the Japanese Garden, while the Founder’s Courtyard overlooking Jewett Pond can host up to 250 people for evening receptions with live music and dancing.
Manito Park, Spokane
With multiple gardens, a greenhouse conservatory, manicured lawns and a duck pond, Manito Park in Spokane is a prime spot for group picnics and other informal outdoor events. Its crown jewel is the Rose Hill Garden, where pathways lead through dozens of rose varieties, which bloom profusely in Spokane’s sunny climate during summer and fall. Other highlights are the Joel E. Ferris Perennial Garden, with over 300 plant varieties, and the Duncan Garden, a classic European formal garden of flower beds surrounding a graceful fountain.
