A Magical Transformation

Darlingtonia
A Magical Transformation:
Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan
January 2016
Acknowledgements
This Development Plan was created with the effort of many people. Thanks to everyone for a great job and a plan that will
inspire a beautiful garden for future generations.
Design Team Leach Garden Friends

Land Morphology, Richard Hartlage, Sandy Fischer and David Porter, Executive Director
Lindsey Heller - design team lead
Olson Kundig Architects, Kevin Kudo-King, Misun Chung Board Members: Nana Bellerud, Jim Berry, Thomas Bland,
Gerrick - architecture Irene Bowers, Mary LK Davis, Gay Greger, Michael McKeel,
Winterbrook Planning, Tim Brooks - land use & permitting Amy Miller-Dowell, Linda Morrow, President
Lancaster Engineering, Michael Ard - traffic engineering
Suenn Ho - graphic designer Staff: James Draznin, development director, Ashley Evans,
GreenWorks, Mike Faha - green infrastructure volunteer coordinator, Scott Hoelscher, head gardener,
Capital Engineering and Consulting, Janet Spriggs - civil Janice Jenkins, education coordinator, Kathleen Kennedy,
engineering caretaker and rental representative, Nadia Ly, event
Hodaie Engineering, Saifan Hodaie - mechanical manager, Courtney Vengarick, gardener and curator,
engineering Virginia Staubach, executive assistant, operations, Vanessa
Mitali and Associates, Mitali Kulkarni - cost estimating McMillin, sales and events coordinator
Working Group: Irene Bowers, Gay Greger, Amy Miller-

Portland Parks and Recreation Dowell, Linda Morrow, and David Porter
Ross Swanson, project manager
Janet Bebb, Creative Project Management, consultant for Collections Committee: David Goulder, Scott Hoelscher,
PP&R Linda Morrow, Martin Nicholson, Fred Nilsen, Jim Sjulin,
Lauren McGuire, Capital Projects Team Manager Courtney Vengarick, Bass Wagner
Kia Selley, Asset & Development Manager
Mike Abbate, Director Project Advisory Committee
Nana Bellerud, Tom Bland, Irene Bowers, Erik Carr, Kristin
Portland Development Commission Calhoun, Gay Greger, Bob Hyland, Linda Morrow, Holly
Carol Herzberg, Sr. Project Manager Moss, David Porter, Dale Shetler, Jim Berry, Amy Miller
Dowell, Gladys Ruiz, and Asmir Trnjanin
City of Portland
Charlie Hales, Mayor Cultural Ambassadors
Amanda Fritz, Commissioner for Parks The NICE (Northwest Institute for Community
Enrichment), Lola Aminova, Adilene Amaro-Zurita, Tung Lu
ii Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan

A Magical Transformation:
Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan
January 2016
Portland Parks & Recreation iii

Leach Botanical Garden is located just south of Foster Road at
6704 SE 122nd Avenue in Portland, OR. It sits at the gateway to East Portland’s
buttes, near several other natural areas, and only a few blocks from the
Springwater Corridor Bike/Pedestrian trail.
iv Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan

Contents
Acknowledgements��ii
Partner’s Message �� 1
Our Inspiration ��3
Creating the Garden �� 5
Introduction ��7
Beginning the Transformation �� 9
Pivotal decision - design team selection�� 9
The Landscape Framework��11
Site Organization��11
Arrival Sequence �� 13
Connections �� 13
Upper Garden Centerpiece: Pollinator Garden and Tree Walk�� 13
Landscape Typologies��14
Collections��16
Display/Demonstration Gardens�� 17
Gathering places�� 20
Special Features ��22
Wayfinding/interpretive signage ��23
Architecture ��25
The Experience ��25
Building materials and structures �� 28
Sustainability �� 29
Future/Phasing �� 29
Communications Approach�� 31
Getting the Word Out �� 31
What did we learn? ��33
Decision-making Process ��35
Evolution of the Plan ��37
Developing a Strong Start �� 41
Vision ��41
Phasing Matrix ��41
Upper Garden Development Plan illustration ...�� 44
Portland Parks & Recreation v

vi Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan
Partner’s Message
How do you make a magical place, one that engages, inspires and
transforms; a place that jolts you into seeing the world in a differ-
ent way; one that leaves you transformed, and yearning to return?
Certainly there are standard practices – have a concept, do a design,
secure funding and build. Does this process however, ensure a truly
remarkable place that embodies the inspiration of great beauty,
the joy of unexpected discoveries and the serenity that comes from
awareness of the moment?
In this report we take a leap and conjecture that the ingredients of

a truly special place at Leach Botanical Garden are here.
At the time of this writing, Leach Garden is indeed a wonderful

place often described as a secret – sleepy and undiscovered. Gar-
den and community leaders are confident that it can and should be
more – more visible, more exciting, an engaging and magical place
adding to the diversity and richness of SE Portland and a destination
for the region and country.
Building on the garden that John and Lilla Leach developed from
the 1930s – 60s, a dedicated group of people have worked hard to
bring a strong vision through the design phase. You’ll read about
them in the following pages – discussions, issues, dreams. If cre-
ating a wonderful place needs strong hearts and minds of those
involved, then this effort meets the test.
In addition to a dedicated community, certainly one ingredient must

be the magic of creativity. At each step in this process the design
team led by Land Morphology with Olson Kundig Architects went GARDE
from our conversations back to the drawing boards and emerged EXISTIN
with original, perceptive concepts and wonderful drawings. Never • Manag
satisfied until the gardens and buildings began to sing, the team & Ecolo
considered and reconsidered at each point. • Historic
• Plants
Ferns &
So time will tell. Do we have the beginnings of a place that will grow
• Shade
over time and be extraordinary? We think so.
• Upper
• Lower
Partners
STRATE
Leach Garden Friends • Add Ne
Portland Parks & Recreation • Add Di
Portland Development Commission • Preserv
Chihuly Garden & Glass
Portland Parks & Recreation 1

2 Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan
Our Inspiration
John & Lilla Leach
In 1972 at the close of Lilla’s long career as a botanist, John Leach
arranged for the charitable donation of their house and garden. The
property was assigned to the City of Portland in 1973 with condi-
tions fulfilled in 1981 that the property will be used and maintained
as a botanical park and museum for the benefit of the public.
The following description of John and Lilla Leach is from the 1982
Master Plan Report by Barbara Fealy and Marlene Salon. It’s includ-
ed here in the spirit of remembering the inspiration of John and Lilla
Leach.
“I have always had a philosophy that if a community furnishes a per-

son with the necessities of life, he owes that community some service
and backing”. So wrote John R. Leach in an autobiographical memoir,
and that statement reflects the contributions that John and Lillia
Leach made to their community and to the field of botany during their
lifetimes. John Leach was the epitome of the civic leader along Foster
Road in Southeast Portland, where for many years he had his phar-
macy. Lilla Irvin Leach was a much-honored botanist who, on travels
with John into remote, mountainous regions of Oregon, discovered
approximately 15 plants previously unknown to science including two
new genera.
For about 40 years, the Leaches made their home on 4 ½ acres along
Johnson Creek, near SE 122nd Avenue and Foster Road – the cherished
spot they called Sleepy Hollow. There they indulged in their great love
of gardening, with the hillsides displaying thousands of varieties of
plants and trees. Their home, with its winding trails, drew the atten-
tion of many horticultural publications.
John R. Leach was born March 26, 1882, in the community of Weston,
in Eastern Oregon, moving with his family to the Lexington area
where he was raised on a farm. He was educated at the Tualatin
Academy, in Forest Grove, where he met his future wife, and studied
pharmacy at the then-Oregon Agricultural College, later to become
Oregon State University.
Lilla Irvin Leach was born in 1886 in the Aurora area, where her father
had a farm. She studied botany at the University of Oregon, graduat-
ing in 1908. She then taught botany at Eugene High School for five
years before marrying John on the family farm along the Pudding
River on September 13, 1913.
John & Lilla Leach

Of their courtship, John later wrote: “She became a teacher in botany
Our Inspiration
and I a very lonesome drug clerk. I began to throw woos at her, but
with no apparent effect. She just was not allergic. She never said ‘NO’
to me. She said ‘PHOOEY’. Until one evening I told her I was a moun-
tain man, knew the ways of pack mules, could talk mule talk, see
the mule’s viewpoint, reason like a mule, throw the diamond hitch,
and could pack her back where the flowers were different and cake-
eating botanists could never get…well, sir, do you know, right then
and there, before I could brace myself or call back the words that had
been spoken, she fell on my neck so hard I’ve never recovered.”
For nearly three decades, the Leaches ranged the West, especially the
mountains of Oregon and Washington, as time from the drug store
permitted, in search of botanical specimens. Often accompanied by
their burros, Pansy and Violet, they worked their way along streams
and, indeed went where “cake-eating botanists could never get.”
It was a region much more wild and remote in those days, than it is
today. Once, Mrs. Leach shot and killed a mountain lion they surprised
John & Lilla on their wedding day: on the trail.
September 13, 1913
Their most remarkable discovery came in the spring of 1930 in the

wilderness of the Siskiyou Mountains in Curry County:
It had been a hard day, hot and sunny, and the trail was steep,
through rugged country,” Mrs. Leach remembered years later. “We
were following along a bare hogback through a flowerless, uninviting
section of the trail. I suppose there must have been a little depression
in the hogback, a sort of saddle for moisture to gather in and soil to
accumulate, for suddenly we came upon a breath-taking sight. Before
Setting out with their burros, Pansy us, beside the trail, lay a patch of low evergreen bushlets, simply cov-
and Violet, in 1928 ered with deep rose flowers, vividly pink in the sunshine.
Thrilled? We were! I felt sure I had found something new.”
She had, indeed, found something new. The plant, which the Leaches
later found in other locations of the Siskiyous, was identified by
botanists as a previously unknown genus and given the name Kalmi-
opsis leachiana (the species name, of course, being the Latinized form
of its discoverers’ name). This Kalmiopsis, believed to date from the
Tertiary Period which ended 10 million years ago, is found in no other
location but the Siskiyous. The plant was the inspiration for naming
the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area.
The Leaches ended their active exploration with the outbreak of

World War II, focusing their attention on their garden at Sleepy Hol-
Kalmiopsis leachiana low. But those explorations, which included nine trips into the Siskiy-
ous, produced many finds in addition to the Kalmiopsis.
Our Inspiration
The other genus discovered by Mrs. Leach was Bensonia oregana, a

rare saxifrage, found June 6, 1928, at Bear Camp, about 35 miles west
of Grants Pass. Of more horticultural interest, however, is one of the
five species found by Mrs. Leach, a wild iris call Iris innominata – “iris
the unknown.” Best known in its golden yellow form, it has been
introduced into gardens and has won various horticultural awards. Triteleia hendersonii v. leachiae
Mrs. Leach, herself, received many awards for her achievements, and Triteleia Hendsonii var. leachiae
was the first person to receive the Eloise Payne Luquer medal for dis-
tinguished achievement in botany from the Garden Club of America.
In addition to his botanical wanderings, John Leach was a true “civic

leader”….A hearty, outgoing man—known as a spinner of tall tales,
among other things – he was a familiar figure to area residents.
Among his contributions, Leach was a founder and first president
of the Southeast Portland Chamber of Commerce, a founder of the
Junior Rose Festival, a promoter of the Ross Island Bridge, instrumen-
Iris innominata
tal in paving Foster Road, and a member of the Multnomah County
Welfare Board.
John Leach died April 5, 1972, at Sleepy Hollow at age 90. Lilla Leach
died September 10, 1980, at a Lake Oswego nursing home at age 94.
They left to their community, not only their home, but a lasting legacy
of discovery and contribution.
Creating the Garden

The landscaping of Sleepy Hollow was designed by Wilbert Davies,
a landscape architect student John and Lilla had helped through
college. When landscaping began, Pansy was brought to the prop-
erty and stabled in the stone shed located on the south boundary
line. The burro pulled the scraper to prepared the ground on the
south side of the stream. The stone cabin, with a slate roof, was
constructed first. When finished it was used for shelter and as a
weekend cabin until the Manor House was completed in 1936. The Manor House
elaborate gardens at Sleepy Hollow included a mile of trails along
which most of the thousand species of trees, shrubs and herba-
ceous plants were labeled. A medicinal plant garden was created
on the north border. When completed, it contained 420 herbs and
medicinal plants. The Leaches were sent seedlings and plants to
try out at Sleepy Hollow, in the moderate climate provided by the
protective hills and gentle Willamette Valley rains. Most of these
experimental trials were made in the area presently occupied by the
rock garden. Stone cabin

Our Inspiration
The original Leach property is shown here (in red) as it came to the
City in 1973. The Garden has grown incrementally from the original
4.5 acres to its current size of 17 acres. The latest acquisition in 2015
was the impetus for this Development Plan.
Families exploring Leach Garden 
To SE Foster Rd.
today 2015 2015
SE Claybourne Street
n ue
e
Av
nd
122
SE 1986
2010 1999 1984
SE
122 1973
nd
Ave
nue
1973
1999
1973
1999
Joh
nso
n Cr
eek 1973
1985
1973
East Terrace and Carriage House

Introduction
Leach Botanical Garden is poised to become one of the important

public gardens and community gathering places in the region.
Portland’s Chinese and Japanese Gardens honor culture and nature;
Leach Botanical Garden will celebrate plants, ecology and environ-
mental stewardship, the legacy of founders John and Lilla Leach.
In the past botanical gardens have been specialized places with a

strong focus on collections and academic research. “Today, people
are coming more and more to public gardens which nationally The inclusion of art and science
average an annual 75 million visitors” according to Abby Spenser, exhibits along with horticulture
director of marketing and outreach for the American Public Gardens collections is proving to be an
Association. The inclusion of art and science exhibits along with hor- exciting combination to visitors,
ticulture collections is proving to be an exciting combination to visi- transforming botanical gardens
tors, transforming botanical gardens into important cultural centers. into important cultural centers.
The heightened awareness and importance of ecology and environ-
mental stewardship is drawing a younger crowd, 20 – 48 year olds,
which is critical to the continued growth of gardens as well as to
their mission of education and conservation.
The design team, working with the Leach Garden Friends (LGF) and
Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) has created an innovative and
programmatically dynamic development plan. The plan exemplifies
the design excellence demonstrated in all of PP&R’s projects. The
Garden is intended to become a significant cultural institution for
the SE community and the Portland Metro region. Portland is a desir-
able destination and has a strong base of tourism; Leach Garden will
be a compelling asset to the neighborhood, city, region and state.
Strong design elements proposed by Land Morphology will delight

and inspire visitors while communicating deeper messages about An article entitled “Education by
the connections between plants and people. Features include alpine Stealth” describes how the Royal
walls, a 21st century physic garden where paths are shaped like Botanic Garden Edinburgh
strands of DNA, an immersive and color rich pollinator and habitat “seeks to communicate with
garden, an aerial tree walk, accessible to all and elevated thirty feet people who are not intention-
above the ground into the canopy of the native forest, exemplary ally involved in any kind
horticulture displays, and gardens that demonstrate responsible use of formal study . . . including
of water, and the rich, fragile ecosystems of bogs and fens. Olson Garden visitors who did not
Kundig, architects, developed designs for a series of buildings that come to learn.”
are light on the landscape. The buildings are wrapped in a lath struc-
ture, reminiscent of a gardener’s lath house, that create an inter-play
of light, connect to the landscape and gardens, and provide oppor-
tunities for shaded gardens on the roof.

Introduction
Building enthusiasm is key to the success of this project. Emphasis

has been placed on creating a sustainable plan that engages the
community, drawing on its rich diversity for programs and participa-
tion as well as fundraising. The plan is developed for incremental
phasing (5 - 20 years) and manageable capital improvement costs
that exemplify high standards in design. A capital campaign was
recently launched to move forward with the first phase of construc-
tion.
Leach Botanical Garden has arrived at an exciting nexus. It’s time

to celebrate the past and embrace a bright and innovative vision of
the future - a future that will establish the Garden as a vital cultural
attraction in a historically underserved area of the city. Plants,
“ You change people with ecology, art, environmental learning for all ages, and special events
delight. You change people will make the Garden a dynamic place. The entrepreneurial spirit of
with pleasure.” Thomas the board and staff coupled with public and private investment will
Aquinas raise the profile of the Leach Garden. This development plan pro-
vides the vision and direction for growing the Garden into a world-
class public garden.

Beginning the Transformation
Leach Garden Friends (LGF) have been courting a transformation of

the Garden for many years. The 2010 master plan inspired a series of
changes, a 2011 business plan identified new audiences and reve-
nues, and a 2012 concept design plan set the stage for upper garden
development - all planting the seeds of change for the Garden. An
energized board and the Garden leadership headed toward change.
In preparation for this Development Plan, LGF laid the groundwork

for changes. In a power point presentation entitled “Garden Inspira-
tion,” they shared their vision and broad direction for the Garden
with a room full of designers considering a contract proposal and
established LGF and PP&R as an intelligent and passionate client
group, worthy of excellent work.
Public partners have also been working toward change. In 2008,

the Portland Development Commission (PDC) included the Garden
within its Lents Urban Renewal Area boundaries and, in 2014, al-
located $2,040,000 for Garden development. In 2015 Portland Parks
and Recreation (PP&R) purchased a key property to support expan-
sion plans, and later allocated $1,000,000 for construction of a first
phase catalyst project.
In addition to inspiration and great partners, the beginning of the

transformation included the work of building objectives, schedules
and partnerships. An intergovernmental agreement took shape be-
tween PP&R and PDC along with the specific scope of work. So the
stage was set for transformation: a great site opportunity, partners
moving together toward a common purpose and technical work of
project setup.
Pivotal decision - design team selection

It has been said that when the design team is selected for a project
approximately 70% of the quality of the project has been deter-
mined. Certainly there are decisions, process, and input that are all “We want people to experience
important - but the basic passion, creativity and right-fit for the proj- a level of excellence comparable
ect must be there. For the development plan, securing the design to visiting Portland’s Japanese
team took time and focus and was very successful. Garden or Lan Su, the Classi-
cal Chinese Garden.” Leach
A well-written request for proposals was thoroughly vetted by Botanical Garden Board of
LGF and the partners. It was clear and articulate about the project Directors
background, goals and products. Outreach to professionals both
locally and around the country with expertise in public gardens set
the stage. The selection committee included PP&R, PDC, LGF as well

Beginning the Transformation
as community leaders who were passionate about sophisticated

design for Portland. The project expectations were indicated by the
“project excellence” section for design teams seeking the contract.
Proposers should ensure that their project team possesses the expe-
rience and expertise to address the following project characteristics:
• Design Excellence – Leach Botanical Garden's beauty and

special character derive from site assets including varied
topography, a salmon-bearing creek, historic buildings, and a
vigorous forest canopy. The new Upper Garden design must
offer superlative contemporary design that complements the
entire garden and integrate both art and water design into a
rich visitor experience. On a broad scale, the project should
impress; on a more intimate scale, the project should inspire
with thoughtful details and creative consideration of materials.
• Botanical Garden Expertise – Outstanding botanical col-

lections, and the educational programs that depend upon
“We are not just another park them, are central to the mission of Leach Botanical Garden.
or greenspace. As a botanical During the schematic design development phase, PP&R and
garden, design components LGF seek specific expertise in designing, presentation and
must be innovative and management of the botanical collections, with key consider-
special.” Leach Botanical ation given to proposals that aspire to increase the Garden's
Garden Board of Directors number of visitors and financial sustainability.
• Circulation for the Upper Garden – Key to the success of

this project will be resolution of pedestrian and automobile
circulation for the Upper Garden, and its integration with the
entire site and structures. From the moment that visitors
arrive, the experience of natural beauty must be present;
as each new area of the Garden is explored, this experience
should unfold and expand. Due to recent property acquisi-
tion just north of the site, proposers for this project must re-
visit previous assumptions that located visitor entrance and
parking to the west. Also important to this project's internal
circulation routes will be bus drop-off and turnaround, and
potential street improvements to SE Claybourne Street.
The selected team is led by Land Morphology. Their presentation

was outstanding particularly in three areas. The team showed won-
derful examples of public gardens with intelligent narrative. They
demonstrated their knowledge of botanical garden operations and
specifically about taking a small garden into a larger arena. Finally,
they had reviewed the Garden site and took a chance on discussing
some preliminary ideas, which were well received.
The Landscape Framework
The framework for the design was initiated at the first

meetings in March 2015. Land Morphology with Olson
Kundig Architects introduced the idea of a transect as the
organizing principle that related the natural and cultural
landscapes each on their own axis. As Richard Hartlage
explained “Have a structure and then let the garden flow
from that structure.”
The key design concepts, including use of water, artistic

and creative display of plants, art and the aerial tree walk
were all initiated at the first client meeting. The frame-
work grew from there, based on design team response service
to discussions. By the end of September, after five visits
to Portland and discussions with a host of people, the
gardens +
design team produced the gardens and architecture for meadows
the development plan. (See full plan fold-out on page 44.)

forest
historic garden
Site Organization riparian zone
by Land Morphology, Richard Hartlage, Sandy Fischer Ecological
FRAMEWORK DIAGRAMS
The Transects
The overall Garden master plan is organized spatially and
thematically to connect and celebrate the diversity of the entry buildings
site’s culture and ecology. The relationship of ecological

public
transect, or line, with the cultural transect is the con-

ceptual and spatial organizational framework. The new
collections
gardens
parking
buildings and gathering spaces are organized along the

east / west cultural transect. The collections and gardens
are organized ecologically along the north/ south axis and
culturally along the east/west axis. The garden experi- Cultural
ence is designed to explore the intersection of cultureFRAMEWORK DIAGRAMS
and ecology and people’s relationship to plants.
1. BUILDINGS
PRODUCITON &
MAINTENANCE 2. PEDESTRIAN PLACES
Places and Stories

3. GARDENS
GROW
4. CONNECTIONS / TRANSECTS
The transect is an organizing principle that draws

DISPLAY PHYSICS
ENTRY
ALPINE FEN
strength from the stories that can be told. The north/

PARKING
TENT
MEADOW
EVENTS
EVENTS
EVENT
south transect has five levels starting with the ripar-

ian zone at Johnson Creek. The table on the next page TREE GALLERY
describes the unique focus for each level. This, in turn, HISTORIC LEACH
COLLECTION
helps provide a framework for the interpretive narrative PACIFIC NW NATIVE COLLECTIONS
as visitors move through the Garden.

PARKING
Spatial Design Plan

SITE DIAGRAM
service
gardens +
meadows
forest
historic garden
riparian zone
FRAMEWORK DIAGRAMS
North/South Transect Descriptions
Transect Level Theme/Focus Collections/Gardens - Stories to be Told
What do you see
there?
Riparian: Conservation of Native riparian and Water and
Johnson Creek native habitat forest ecology watershed health;
Preserve salmon
Historic Garden: Preservation of Historic collections Leach history and

Sleepy Hollow Retreat cultural assets Manor House values
Forest: Restoration of forest Forest floor, canopy New perspectives,

Hillside Gallery and collections. and forest edge art past and present,
Planned succession ecology stewardship,
concept of eco-
services
Gardens & Meadows: Education and Water: Fen/pond/bog Leach values brought
Display Gardens & exploration, Alpine, Physic, forward, global
Discovery Center environmental Pollinator, Moss, Dry, issues such as water,
stewardship Chroma, and plant migration, &
community Children's Garden plant/people
interdependencies
Service: Experimentation, Propagation Best practices/plant
Production & exploration, and habitat, resource
Cultivation demonstration of management,
best practices composting, water,
soil, etc.

Arrival Sequence
Near term, visitors will arrive at the existing park-
ing lot and walk to the Manor House and the lower
historic garden, climbing stone stairs and traversing
the forested hillside on a pathway through native
plants. In the future, an upper garden entrance will
be developed off SE 122 Avenue where guests will
arrive through the grove of Douglas Fir trees and an
expanded collection of southeastern United States
native plants. They will be greeted by an entrance gar-
den with iconic contemporary structured trellises for
plants, establishing that visitors have entered a spe-
cial place. They will encounter artful features along
pathways and narrow roadways as they approach the
new Welcome Center and Courtyard.
Connections
Pathways connect gardens, collections and gather-
ing places. Travel through the site will be journeys of
discovery where themes may include the interdepen-
dence of ecology and culture, transformation and
change, and individual as well as planetary health.
John and Lilla Leach’s core values, including environ-
mental stewardship, will be embedded in the stories
and places. An informal, yet more structured system
of accessible pathways is overlaid on the existing net-
work of narrow and organic pathways. The new paths
fit the site contours, organize the site and orient
visitors with wayfinding elements at decision points.
Many of the existing, informal paths will remain and
continue to encourage discovery and wandering.
Upper Garden Centerpiece: Pollinator Garden and Tree Walk
Upper Garden Centerpiece:

Pollinator Garden and Tree Walk
The centerpiece of the Upper Garden is a pollinator
meadow and gathering green framed by a series of
display gardens, the forest edge, garden paths and
exquisite architecture.
The buildings include a welcome center, offices and an event cen-

ter, connected by a boardwalk and overlooking the green and gar-
dens. The architecture is embedded in gardens with walkways and
courtyards that greet visitors and overlook the pollinator meadow.
The gathering green will bring the community together for celebra-
tions, performances and educational events.
From the beginning of the project there has been a sense that
something exciting and different is needed to bring people to the
garden. The design team proposed a tree walk early in the process
and people were clearly intrigued. The tree walk is a curvilinear
“necklace” that takes its point of departure from the Upper Gar-
den pollinator meadow and gracefully weaves through the forest
The Pollinator Meadow is framed by
canopy. Visible but not dominating, the tree walk makes an ethereal
the Welcome Center to the north and connection between the upper and lower garden.
the fireplace terrace and aerial tree
walk to the south.
Landscape Typologies
The development plan includes several landscape typologies and
features with a focus on Pacific Northwest collections and gardens.
The six typologies include:
Aerial tree walk concept

1. Collections
Collections are larger, less formal and located in a park-like or ar-
boretum setting. The focus of the collections will be global with an
emphasis on Pacific NW and Southeastern United States. The latter
two are geographies of interest to the founders.
Plant collections fall into four primary categories: native, exotic,

display and themed. The native plant collections will focus on The
Cascades and Siskiyou Mountain flora where John and Lilla Leach
spent many years collecting. Other native plant themes will include
meadow, savanna, coniferous woodland, fen and perimeter plants.
The exotic collections will focus on Southeastern United States,
European alpine flora, Asia and Mediterranean regions. Plants for
the themed and display gardens will respond to the educational and
display nature of the associated gardens.
2. Display or demonstration gardens

Highly designed and cultivated, these gardens are smaller and
themed, and they will be located near the buildings and central
circulation spines. Think of them as “galleries”. The spaces are
defined by edges of buildings, hedges, pathways, fencing and walls
and in some instances introduced features such as arbors, trellises

and landforms. The 12 gardens are focused on themes and plants
of interest to the founders and current visitors. They are further
described on the following pages, with brief narrative and images
to convey their character. They are located based on soils, sun pat-
terns, scale and storyline. Interpretive discovery paths are incorpo-
rated into the design.
3. Gathering places
The development plan incorporates several gathering spaces. These
will include the buildings, building courtyards, primary and second-
ary terraces, event lawns, shelters and other places where groups
Arbors and trellises are planned
can gather for events; celebratory, educational, or cultural. Most throughout the garden.
gardens have a gathering space incorporated in the form of a lawn
or terrace. Some are sheltered and some are not. The plan locates
but does not include detailed design of each element. Each place
needs to be thoughtfully designed to support the institution’s mis-
sion, vision, values and programs with environmental stewardship
as a core value.
4. Special features
The overall site plan includes many opportunities to incorporate
special features that add interest and delight. These may include
green roofs, container gardens, temporary or permanent displays
of art or exhibits, interpretive loops highlighting themes, arbors,
trellises, plant identification programs and playful elements such as
tree houses, view platforms, stumperies (stumps and tree trunks
surrounded by plants) and tunnels. These are described in greater
detail in the descriptions of individual gardens and garden features.
5. Buffers, edges and general landscaping

These areas define the edges of the overall garden and, in places,
separate uses. They have education potential if treated thought-
fully. They will showcase plants and provide people with ideas for
home and commercial landscapes as well as streets and parking
areas. Fencing will be integral and attractive. The intent is to design
to the Portland Code while keeping the appropriate character in
various areas of the site.
6. Garden and site infrastructure

Operating and maintaining the botanical garden requires infrastruc-
ture to support staff, horticulture, and programs. Site infrastructure
includes utilities, parking and roads. Garden infrastructure refers
to facilities needed to operate and maintain the Garden including Special features will add interest and
greenhouses, composting facilities, materials storage facilities, ir- delight.
rigation, land, hoop houses and lath houses for growing plants.
Collections
A. NW Cascadia Ecology Collection
The development plan will showcase the ecology of northwest
Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and northern California
as several distinct collections and model gardens. Native Riparian
habitat and fern collections will be located along Johnson Creek.
The historic and new collections on the hillside will include wood-
land hillside, forest canopy, edge, forest floor and moss garden. The
natural topography, drainage patterns, pathways and the existing
trees spatially define these areas.
B. The Southeast Collection

The Southeast collections will be highlighted on the west side of the
Upper Garden and in the historic Sleepy Hollow where the collec-
tion currently exists. In the Upper Garden, the collection will include
highly ornamental plantings greeting visitors as they arrive, park and
make their way to the Garden’s pedestrian entrance. John and Lilla
Leach had a strong interest in the flora of the southeast which is
the most diverse in the United States. It is highly ornamental, giving
visitors an engaging greeting of flowers, form, foliage and seasonal
changes. Some of the larger areas will be less formal and park-like
focusing on seasonal interest and color.
C. Historic Collections
The garden’s founders, Lilla and John Leach, are most recognized
for collecting Alpine plants in the Siskiyou Mountains. The historic
collections are located within Sleepy Hollow, near the Historic Man-
or House, on the slope above the Manor House and in the Woodland
Garden. The remaining collections have been inventoried, curated
and labeled. They include collections of Pacific NW natives, trilliums,
iris, may apple, alpines and others. Long-term, the plan calls for re-
locating the Alpine collection to more appropriate sites. The forest
has matured and is shading out the collections.
D. The World Collections

The world collections will be located on the easternmost parcel.
These collections will show co-evolution, demonstrate genetic
diversity and can connect culturally to the diverse ethnic groups
living in Southeast Portland. We live in a global community now and
the world collections will connect continents, ecologies, and people
through plants. Asia did not glaciate and is one of the most diverse
temperate floras in the world. The historic Leach collection included
many flora from around the world, from the Atlas Cedar to Dawn
Redwood and southeast Asian and Mediterranean plants.

Display/Demonstration Gardens
The gardens are listed in order as if you were arriving from the park-
ing lot and walking around the Upper Garden.
A. Entrance Garden
The entrance to the Upper Garden is proposed to be from SE Clay-
bourne Street off of SE 122 Avenue. The Entrance Garden will greet
visitors as they arrive and will include contemporary and colorful
plantings that demonstrate how gardens can be artful. Visitors
will experience beautiful and functional rain gardens that man-
age storm water. Special features encountered on the walk from
the parking lot to the welcome courtyard will be mature specimen
Douglas Fir Trees, maples, a steel and grass feature, sculpture and
well-crafted seating/retaining walls and a rammed earth wall de-
scribed on page 25.
B. Gardens adjacent to the buildings

Visitors will arrive at the Welcome Center and will experience some
special gardens.
• Alpine Walls
Alpine ecologies are some of the most fragile on the planet
today and with the Leaches’ long interest in these plants this
garden will express the heritage and gift of the founders as well
as educate people on how climate change is affecting these little
known but dynamic flora. The intention will be to grow these
plants in ways that are modern and innovative and express how
they would be seen in nature. The alpine courtyard will include
angled walls of plants. As the angled walls meet the roof, they
become roof garden displays.
• Roof Gardens
The roofs of the buildings are intended to be gardens and habitat
As they park and walk toward the
for ground-nesting birds. This is an incredible opportunity to link entrance, visitors will pass by a
the structures with the sustainability mission of the garden. The beautiful and functional rain garden.
lath structure will create soft, dappled light on the roof garden.
The gardens will serve to educate the public on types of green
roofs and the diversity of plants and habitat that can be grown
on structures using various soil, irrigation and insulating technol-
ogies. This is another unique and exciting feature that will show-
case Leach Garden as an innovative and forward-looking garden.
A steel and grass structure is
GARDENS AS A FOCUS & INSPIRATION
• Chroma Garden envisioned as part of the Entrance

Bright colors and seasonal change will be the major theme of Garden.
this garden. It will set the tone that the Leach Botanical Garden is
a place that will delight and be worthy of repeat visits. An arbor,

lawn, benches and containers will give interest to the space.
A small lawn surrounded by terraces will encourage use of the
space for weddings, events and private gatherings. Pavement
is envisioned as concrete planks, with stone insets. Container
gardens in this area will be remarkable. The north edge of the
space is defined by the lath house, the south edge is defined by
structures and the east edge is defined by rammed earth walls.
• Mediterranean Garden
As water becomes an increasingly scarce commodity, it is essen-
tial to demonstrate how low-water use gardens are also beauti-
ful and functional to home gardeners. This space will be visible
from the administrative offices and accessible to visitors through
The Chroma (Color) Garden will the Chroma Garden. The paved terrace located off the office
feature bright colors and seasonal
change. conference room will support small functions.
C. East Gardens, moving from west to east

• Pollinator and Habitat Garden
A meadow-like garden with layered and multi-seasonal interest
is envisioned for this space. Native and non-native perennials,
bulbs, ephemerals, and flowering shrubs will provide year round
habitat for birds and small mammals and food for pollinators.
This garden will be highly floral and beautiful while educating
visitors to the meadow ecology that exists in all temperate cli-
mates. It will also demonstrate sustainable gardening principles.
The Mediterranean Garden will feature The location of this garden at the intersection of the cultural
plants requiring little water. and ecological transects is appropriate. The preferred alterna-
tive makes this centerpiece an “ecological quad”, with a small
panel of lawn for events surrounded by lush meadows. To the
north is the multi-purpose building for events and to the south is
a fireplace terrace; both will accommodate gatherings and small
performances.
• Water Garden-Pond, Fen and Bog Garden

The water garden is a central feature of the upper garden. The
water garden will be a gathering, space, a respite and an infor-
mative place. Collections within it will include fen, bog, water
plants in the pond, as well as perimeter plantings. Benches, an
terraced seating and an overlook provide a diversity of experi-
ences and gathering spaces. A fen is a perched water table
with a basic PH. Cobra Lilies (Darlingtonia californica) and other
carnivorous plants are native to this ecology yet seldom experi-
enced. The diverse set of plants that grow in these ecologies will
The Pollinator & Habitat Garden will captivate visitors, demonstrating that these kinds of wet areas
have multi-seasonal interest. are important habitats for unique plants as well as animals, par-
ticularly amphibians. Orchids and water lilies can be an important

and striking collection for these habitats.
• Gulliver’s Garden
There are countless plants that are large in scale, the most
notable being Gunnera with heroic sized leaves. This garden is
Terraced seating
intended to make the visitor feel like they are in an enchanted

land that will captivate children and adults alike. Located south
east of the pond, plants will be planted in containers of varying
heights set in permeable pavement. While some are flush with
the ground, others project up and form seat walls and retain the
edges of stairs. Special features include circular sunken planters
filled with giant plants. The surrounding terraces will support
small gatherings.
• Moss Garden
A garden expression from Japan is envisioned as artfully innova-
tive and re-imagined for the moss garden at the Leach Botanical
garden. These primitive plants are a perfect foil with dynamic
paving patterns and graphic ground planes. A memorable
feature will be well-crafted mosaic stone pathway, a collection
of mosses, ferns, wisk ferns and even horsetails to showcase
primitive plants in a graphic and interesting manner that will be
an effective teaching tool for these plants that evolved before Darlingtonia californica
dinosaurs.
D. South Gardens, moving north to south

• Alpine Garden
The Alpine Garden, separate from the walls, will display alpine
plants in sculptural conical steel forms that are expressions of
the mountains of Cascadia. Special elements include small water
features and sculptural steel troughs planted with alpine plants
and referencing the Cascade Mountain Range. The stone terrace The Gulliver’s Garden’s giant leaves
can host small gatherings. will delight visitors.
• Physic Garden
John Leach was a pharmacist and had a significant physic garden
near this site. While his garden focused on medicinal plants, this
contemporary physic garden will include plants used by humans
in modern medicine, textiles, cosmetics, and other industries,
demonstrating the essential, often unrecognized, role that
plants play in our everyday lives. This garden epitomizes Leach
Garden’s mission to inform and interpret the connection be-
tween people and plants. While the Alpine Garden to the north
references larger regional geography and land forms, this garden
Contemporary moss garden
is informed by microscopic forms, DNA chains and patterns of

scientific discovery. Special features include the decorative

metal DNA wall and overhead trellises.
• Children’s and Secret Garden

With an emphasis on hands-on gardening experience for chil-
dren, this garden will be used to engage young people in plants
and nature. The garden will educate and entertain, informing
them of current issues related to habitat, water, and climate
change and plant migration. The garden may include plots for
growing, bird feeders, a salamander pond, apiaries and a secret
garden where children can relax in seed pods, play in environ-
Alpine plants will be presented as they mental sculptures or get lost in a grass maze. The layout of the
grow in the wild - in a steep, rocky garden mimics ferns unfolding. Structures include a whimsical
terrain.
tool shed and an arbor. A play mound references the form of
bugs, with spots, large eyes and spindly legs. Gathering places
include a terrace under a covered arbor.
• Woodland Hillside Garden / Gallery

The stand of native conifers on the hillside above the house has
a strong character of scale and dappled light. These impressive
trees have a robust collection of native plants on the ground
plane and this will be further enhanced and expanded. All the
trilliums native to the Northwest should be represented here to
augment the existing collection. The aerial tree walk will cre-
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
ate an iconic and distinctive experience of this space. There are

Land Morphology
The contemporary Physic Garden will opportunities to incorporate diverse flora on the ground plane;
COGNITION & SUPPORT
feature plants used in modern medi-
cine, textiles, cosmetics, and other perhaps including new Moss and Mushroom collections and
industries. enhancing the existing historic collections of trillium, may-apple
and irises. The hillside is a transition between contemporary
upper garden and traditional lower garden. Accessible to all, the
aerial tree walk offers visitors new and less common perspective.
There is potential to highlight forest management concepts in-
cluding restoration and succession. Opportunities to incorporate
permanent or temporary environmental art are also abundant.
Gathering places
Botanical Gardens are evolving to be cultural institutions as well
as places for the study of plants. Diverse gathering spaces support
educational and cultural events for people with diverse interests and
abilities. Each display garden is designed to include a gathering space.
In addition to the terraces, lawns, and small performance venues lo-
cated in individual gardens, there are several larger gathering spaces
in the Garden including decks, terraces, courtyards and lawns.
A. Welcome Courtyard
From the parking area or drop-off zone, visitors pass over a water
feature and pass between rammed earth walls and arrive in the ter-
race. The welcome terrace provides orientation to the gardens, the
history of Leaches, and is a place to host plant sales. Directly south
is the coffee terrace.
B. CoffeeTerrace
Located outside of the ticket gate, the coffee courtyard serves as
a neighborhood “third place.” The space provides views into the Example of rammed earth walls
alpine collection to the south. Movable tables and chairs encourage
neighbors to socialize and enjoy local food and beverages.
C. Alpine courtyard
This Alpine courtyard is a centerpiece in the sequence of buildings.
It is a space framed by sloping walls of alpine plants that become
rooftop gardens. Water collects in a “spring” that is framed by
decking. To the north is the Chroma courtyard and to the south is a
long view across the meadow toward the Fireplace terrace. Mov-
able seating and tables encourage guests to linger in a covered
shaded space.
D. East event deck

East of the Multi-purpose building is an elevated deck that over-
looks the Water Garden. The roof of the event center extends to WELCOME
COURTYARD
provide shade and weather protection. Movable furnishings and
protection from the weather creates a flexible space that can be ALPINE
COURTYARD
used year-round. The proximity of the event deck to the event cen-
ter and the gathering lawn accommodate programming of larger
public and private events.
E. East boardwalk and overlook ALPINE

GARDEN
A narrow boardwalk extends from the event deck to the center of
the pond where visitors overlook the water gardens, fen, bog and
Gulliver’s garden. From the boardwalk ramps connect to Gulliver’s
garden and the Bog garden. Potentially the overlook could serve as
a stage for small performances, visible from several seating areas in
the Water garden.
F. Gathering green
The green is a gently sloping 7500 square foot lawn that provides a EAST
EVENT
venue for outdoor gathering including festivals, concerts, theatre, DECK
and exhibits. It is equipped with event power and perimeter walks

are paved, lit and accessible.

G. Fireplace terrace
Located on the highpoint of the upper garden at the edge of the
forest, the fireplace terrace is a gathering place with a view. A
portion is covered with an arbor whose form and style reference
a traditional lath house. The arbor will be designed for year round
use with tent fabric that will enclose the space in the winter. A
feature of the terrace is a linear gas outdoor fireplace. The view to
the north will have meadow as foreground and the new buildings as
middle ground with a few mature Douglas firs and the sky as back-
drop. To the south are the forest and the canopy walk referred to
as the aerial tree walk. To the west is the Physic Garden and to the
east are historic collections.
Special Features
Special features are located throughout the site and within individu-
al gardens. Features associated with each gardens have been previ-
ously described. The more significant special features are described
here.
A. The Aerial Tree Walk

This is the most dramatic landscape feature in the upper garden.
Located in the Woodland Garden, the circular walk starts at the
fireplace terrace, loops to the south, and returns to the terrace - all
while remaining at the same elevation. At the southern-most point
the walk is 30 feet above the ground offering visitors views of the
tree canopy and the forest floor below.
B. The Runnel
A linear runnel runs the length of the buildings from the welcome
terrace to the pond. Parallel with the buildings the runnel captures
roof runoff in an artful feature designed to re-circulate or perhaps
simply be animated when it rains and water flows over a textured
surface.
C. Art
A limited amount of permanent art is recommended. Changing
exhibits attract higher visitation and provide more opportunities for
artists to display diverse collections.
D. Artful features and well-crafted details

Throughout the Garden there will be artful details and attention
to craftsmanship. Retaining walls, handrails, benches, containers,

walls, fences and screen walls are opportunities to showcase local

materials and craftsmanship. While the Garden needs some ele-
ments of continuity, the elements of distinction will be most memo-
rable.
E. Storm water features

Storm water features and gardens will be used throughout the site
to manage and educate visitors about how the hydrologic cycle
works. Some will be naturalistic in feel. Near the architecture in the
model gardens they will be dynamic built features that are func-
tional and attractive. Visitors will pass over varying expressions of A linear runnel similar to this will run
water in several places throughout the Garden observing ponding, the length of the buildings, from the
Welcome Center to the Water Garden
flowing, infiltrating and seeping water. pond.
F. Grass Mound
Located on the path from the parking to the welcome center, the
grass mound combines a steel wall, planters and ornamental grass
in an artful way forming a pedestrian gateway where main walk
intersects the parking lot.
G. View Platforms
View platforms located on the hillside in the world garden will cap-
ture views of Johnson Creek.
H. Playful Elements
The Leach Board has requested a variety of playful features scat-
tered throughout the garden. These may include tree houses, envi-
ronmental play sculptures, story circles, nests, swings, nature play
elements and unusual plants
I. Containers and Plants

Throughout the site and within individual gardens, plants will be
seasonally on display in a variety of sizes and styles of containers.
Wayfinding/interpretive signage
The inspiration for the wayfinding/interpretive signage design
concept came from the vertical presence of the Garden’s forested
hillside. The sloped terrain offers visitors distant vistas at unique
vantage points, and allows for an element of discovery and sur-
prise as one strolls along the meandering paths. The signage offers
sparks of art that are eye-catching yet subtle. The panels have the
potential to include donor recognition as well as small icons of a
variety of insects that are delightful and relevant to the respective

garden areas.
Design Typology
Stainless steel dimensional letters identify buildings and rooms for
the visitors. The clean-cut look complements the architecture by
integrating with the slender vertical wood members of the exterior
of the building structues and accentuating the wood’s warm hues.
The concept for the wayfinding and interpretive signage utilizes

stainless steel tubing and tempered glass display panels with sand-
blasted surface, text, and icons. The glass panel is clip-fastened to
the side of the stainless tube.
Signs made of glass and stainless steel are recommended for their
durability and longevity. They are very visable but do not intrude
upon their surroundings. As an option, LED lights can be embedded
along the sides of the glass so that the text and images will glow at
night.
Three levels of pathway signage are recommended:

• Grand Pole - 7’ above grade. These identify key areas of the Gar-
den and will help visitors orient themselves.
• Grand Pole Directional - 7’ above grade.
• Petit Pole - 4’ above grade. These signs identify each individual
garden.
Two levels of orientation/interpretive panels are recommended.
Expanded campus maps and major interpretive displays utilize the
Grand Panels. The Petit Panels are used for localized campus maps
HILLSIDE NATIVE GARDEN
and site-specific interpretive information.

Path & Stair
Concept for the Grand Pole pathway

sign

Architecture
The building program was established in the 2012 Master Plan and
refined with the design team architects led by Olson Kundig. Archi-
tecture with a sensitive relationship to nature was the center of the
design conversation: inside and outside are blended as the gardens
and architecture connect and their distinctions are blurred. The
capacity of the spaces was carefully considered, balancing growth
and a strong vision with fiscal mindedness. Olson Kundig and Land
Morphology drew on their experience with public gardens to create
an architectural program that is both visionary and well advised.
Architectural Description
by Olson Kundig, Kevin Kudo-King and Misun Chung Gerrick
The Leach Botanical Gardens Visitor Center is made up of four build-

ings: Welcome Center, Gift Shop/Partner Offices, Multi-Purpose
Building, and Administrative Offices. These buildings lightly touch
the ground and are connected by a wooden lath structure, inspired
by the traditional lath house to protect delicate plants from sun and
wind. The wooden structure provides visitors covered shelter, shad-
ing, supports delicate plant growth, and fosters bird-friendly design.
Interlaced between buildings are five distinct exterior gathering

spaces: Welcome Courtyard, Coffee Terrace, Alpine Courtyard,
Event Terrace, and continuous boardwalks from entry to the Water
Garden. These outdoor rooms blend buildings and the gardens and
blurs inside and outside.
The Experience
The symbolic gateway to the Garden is announced by the twenty- The garden gateway extends through
a line of trees and weaves through
four foot tall wooden lath structure. It extends through the line of two rammed earth walls that separate
trees and weaves through two rammed earth walls that separate the entry drive from the garden.
the entry drive from the garden. As visitors arrive, they are able to
see the Welcome courtyard and trees through a grill set in a water
feature. The earthen walls, wooden lath, and sound of water weave
together to form an entry sequence that unfolds through a series of
discoveries.
Once visitors pass around the earthen walls, they are on a covered
boardwalk that extends the full length of the facility to a viewpoint
overlooking a water garden. The walkway is framed by vertical
wooden laths and covered with translucent roofing to provide
protection from the rain. To the south of Welcome courtyard is an
Architecture
LATH STRUCTURE
DROP-OFF WELCOME WELCOME ALPINE ALPINE MULTI-PURPOSE

AREA COURTYARD CENTER COURTYARD WALL BUILDING
COFFEE TERRACE CISTERN

Architecture
outdoor Coffee Terrace that is partially covered by a cantilevered

wooden lath and translucent roofing.
To the north is the Gift Shop and space to host daily plant sales. The
Welcome Center opens into the courtyard and contains an orienta-
tion area, exhibits, a classroom, storage, restrooms, and mechanical
and electrical equipment areas.
As visitors continue down the boardwalk, they arrive at the Alpine

courtyard where sloping walls exhibit delicate alpine plants. These
walls are canted with planting trays and blend with the vegetated
roof gardens. These exhibits are integrated into the architecture
and the visitors can see how the water percolates through plant
trays, collects into central 'spring' water, and ties to the runnel
alongside the boardwalk. To the north and south, large openings Above: Rendering of the entry court-
in the lath structure frame views to the garden. This space is large yard. Welcome Center is to the left
and coffee terrace is to the right. The
enough for people to gather and provides an alternate exterior water gardens are at the far eastern
venue for events. end of the walkway.
Below: Rendering of the Welcome

To the east of the Alpine courtyard is the Multi-Purpose Building. As Center and covered coffee terrace as
the largest building in the Upper Garden it contains restrooms, stor- seen from the south.
age, and lecture/event space that can be divided into three separate
classrooms. Each classroom features framed views to the
gardens. A covered Events Deck cantilevers over the gardens,
providing private outdoor space and views of the water garden and
fen.
The entries to the restrooms are behind the alpine garden walls,
giving “behind the scene” views on how water percolates through
plant trays. The restrooms will be clearly marked with signage from
the boardwalk and courtyard but this door location offers privacy
and is away from major circulation.
There are two other buildings to the north of the Welcome Cen-
ter and Multi-Purpose Building – the Gift Shop/Partner Office and
Administrative Offices. They are simple buildings with vegetated
38 | LEACH BOTANICAL GARDEN MASTER PLAN
roofs and interior space that accommodates flexible seating for the
Garden administrative and partner staff. Audubon Society of Port-
land is a key partner with Leach Botanical Garden. Audubon staff
is housed at the Garden now and plan to continue to be a partner
as the Garden grows. At the time of this summary is being written,
Johnson Creek Watershed Council is exploring whether to reloca-
tion its headquarters to the Garden as well.

Architecture
Building materials and structures

The main framing of wooden lath structure is clear, pressure-treat-
ed and sealed Douglas-fir columns and beams to resist rot, decay,
and insects. The secondary framing of lath structure is painted steel
beams and columns that span in the east-west direction.
Modular cedar lath panels are designed to be prefabricated off-site

then attached to the structure as a panelized system. Cedar will
naturally weather to a silver hue, and could be treated with teak oil,
or finished with a clear coat for low maintenance.
Parts of the lath structure are covered with polycarbonate semi-

translucent panels, engineered fabric, or solar cells on clear glass to
allow light to pass through. Rainwater would be directed to integral
gutters and collected into cisterns in a visible and educational way.
This light structure responds to concerns about bird strikes on glass
voiced by Audubon staff.
Architecture
The four buildings are simple, informal, wood-framed structures,

clad in painted metal panels, with plywood ceilings, durable con-
crete floors, aluminum windows, and planted green roofs. The
buildings’ exterior is dark in color to contrast with the natural wood
lath structure. For mechanical systems, each building has its own
high-efficient Variable Refrigeration Flow (VRF) for heating and cool-
ing, tankless water heaters, and automated operable windows. This
promotes low initial cost and the ability to phase construction. On
the roof of wooden lath structure, solar panels could be installed to
offset energy use.
Sustainability
Sustainable strategies include:
• vegetated roofs,
• harvesting rain water,
• grey water reuse,
• high-efficiency mechanical systems,
• efficient building envelope,
• low-flow plumbing fixtures,
• locally sourced and sustainably harvested wood,
• natural ventilation,
• daylighting,
• low-emitting materials,
• reduced light pollution,
• use of renewable energy, and
• 85% construction waste recycling goal.
As directed by the City’s Green Building Policy, all buildings will

achieve LEED Gold standard. The team will explore the Living Build-
ing Challenge's standards as well.
Future/Phasing
Each building is designed to be built incrementally with flexible
open space. The Welcome Center and western half of the wooden
lath structure could be built first to provide covered exterior event
space, restrooms, and flexible interior space that could be used as a
classroom, office, and/or gift shop. Phasing of buildings allows the
Visitor Center to grow with the garden.

Communications Approach
The gardens and buildings in this development plan were developed

with input from a variety of sources. As the project began, residents
of Porltand seemed to fall into three categories about Leach Botani-
cal Garden. The first, those who know the garden, are in love with
the Garden and ready to volunteer and help out in any way to keep
it going. The second are those who have heard about the Garden
and visit occasionally, perhaps they had or attended a wedding at
the Garden. And third, there are Portlanders who have never heard
of the Garden. So embarking on the Upper Garden project, there was
a strong effort to ask people who visit occasionally or hadn’t heard
of the Garden what would make this a great destination for them
and increase the number of repeat visitors.
In addition, East Portland has a richness of diverse, culturally-spe-

cific residents. The outreach effort included listening to Russian,
Vietnamese, and Spanish speaking residents about their thoughts
on the garden. This effort was led by Gay Greger and David Porter
with Leach Garden Friends.
Getting the Word Out

The outreach was broad and valuable to the project. Over a six-
month time period, the following outreach took place. In general, Informational meeting in the Upper
the approach was to take the Upper Garden project to where Garden tent
people were rather than to ask people to come to dedicated project What makes a place
feel special to you?
meetings.
Mary Edmeads
Immediate and near-by neighbors Leach Botanical Garden

• Door-to-door flyer (120 households)
Alex Ladizinsky
If you could design the perfect, unforgettable

garden, what would it include?
• Neighbor site tours and project introduction (2 dates) T hat’s what the Leach Garden Friends want to know before they begin working with the City of
Portland to create a design for eight undeveloped acres along the north side of the Garden.
Leach Botanical Garden
The setting for Leach Garden is magical, tucked into a hollow along Johnson Creek, just south of Foster
6704 SE 122nd Avenue
on SE 122nd Avenue. The Garden features a lovely manor house, walking trails, thousands of plants, and
• Mailing to 2,080 households within walking distance of Garden

503-823-1671 a charming little stone cabin. It was the original home of famed botanist Lilla Leach and her pharmacist
Tues - Sat 9am - 4pm husband, John. It is now a public garden, free and open to visitors 6 days a week.
Sunday 1 - 4pm
www.leachgarden.org Leach Garden is a place of beauty and tranquility, with something new to see every time you take a
stroll. The calendar is filled with classes, activities, and special events throughout the year. Free tours are
• Special display at Bosniak Educational & Cultural Center (see

offered on Saturdays at 11am, March through November.
Please take a moment to go online and tell us

what you think would make Leach Garden a www.surveymonkey.com\r\leach-eng
Multi-cultural below)
treasure for you and your family:
Leach Garden es una gema del este de Ботанический сад Лич – это жемчужина Leach Garden là điều quý giá ở phía đông
Portland. восточной части Портленда. Сад открыт Portland.
Es gratis y está abierto al público seis días для посетителей шесть дней в неделю, вход Leach Garden mở cửa chào đón công chúng
a la semana. Estamos preparándonos para бесплатный. В скором времени будут miễn phí sáu ngày một tuần. Chúng tôi đang
agregar mejoras a ocho acres del jardín, para проведены работы по благоустройству chuẩn bị hoàn thiện thêm tám mẫu của Khu
que nos permita ofrecer un mejor servicio a восьми акров земли принадлежащих саду. vườn để giúp chúng tôi phục vụ cộng đồng
la comunidad. Эти изменения помогут нам ответить на tốt hơn.
Pero antes de empezar a diseñar cualquier нужды жителей нашей округи. Но прежде Nhưng trước khi chúng tôi bắt đầu thiết kế,
cosa, queremos saber lo que usted piensa. чем начнется проектирование, мы хотели chúng tôi muốn nhận ý kiến đóng góp từ quý
Tómese un momento para acceder a la pá- бы услышать ваше мнение. Пожалуйста, vị. Vui lòng dành chút thời gian để truy cập
gina en línea y decirnos qué cree que haría уделите минутку и ответьте на вопросы trực tuyến và cho chúng tôi biết quý vị nghĩ
East Portland residents

que Leach Garden sea un tesoro para usted относительно того что, по вашему мнению, điều gì sẽ làm cho Leach Garden trở thành
y su familia. сделает Ботанический сад Лич сокровищем một điều quý giá cho quý vị và gia đình của
для вас и вашей семьи. quý vị.
La encuesta en español puede encontrarse
en Опросник на Русском языке находится Hoàn tất bản khảo sát bằng tiếng Việt tại
www.surveymonkey.com/r/leach-spn здесь www.surveymonkey.com/r/leach-viet
www.surveymonkey.com/r/leach-russ
General
Fritz Photography
• Full page ad in East Portland Neighborhood News (50,000

David F. Ashton
households) w/associated online survey Volunteers play an important role at Leach Garden. They work in the Garden and giftshop,
lead tours, and put on events like the summer English Teas, a 25 year tradition.
There are lots of activities for children, including classes and camps, “Honeybee Hikes”
for preschoolers, and our popular Nature Fair, a FREE event coming up this year on
May 16th from 10am - 2pm.
• East Portland Sunday Parkways This full-page ad in the East Portland

Neighborhood News went to 50,000
• Lents Street Fair & Farmer's Market households in April 2015.

• Hawthorne Street Fair

• Division/Midway Festival of Nations Street Fair
Multi-cultural outreach
• Above-mentioned ad contained invitation to participate in our
design effort in three different languages: Spanish, Vietnamese,
and Russian. Online surveys were in all three languages in addi-
tion to English.
• Cultural Ambassadors conducted outreach in the above lan-
Bosniak Educational & Cultural guages, using the survey tool and project display materials.
Organization Each ambassador interacted with people in a wide variety of
places, from churches and community organizations to cultural
events, housing complexes and gathering places. (See appendix
for full report and observations.)
• Week-long display at Bosniak Educational & Cultural Organiza-
tion, culminating with staffed display at the end of Ramadan
prayers on a Friday evening.
East Portland neighborhood structure

• Attended multiple neighborhood association meetings, East
Portland Action Plan meetings, Parks Coalition meetings; invited
leadership of surrounding neighborhoods to special briefing
• Staffed Leach Garden Booth at Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighbor's
Night Out
• Display at African American Alliance for Homeownership Festi-
val - Lents Park
• Attended multiple area business association meetings (East
Portland Chamber, North Clackamas Chamber, Gresham Cham-
ber)
Portland Nursery
Metro-wide horticultural community
• Portland Nursery staffed tentdisplay
• Hardy Plant Society study weekend at PSU - staffed display - 2
days (400+ in attendance)
LGF members and volunteers & partners

• Member newsletter with insert on project
• Member & volunteer site tours
• Partner meetings & briefings; inclusion in CAC meetings
General public
• Website with background information, plans, and feedback
form
• Open House Events (4 days) at the Garden
• Advertisements and calendar listings in The Oregonian, Oregon-
Hawthorne Street Fair Live, on our FaceBook page, etc.

• Leach Garden Frends Nature Fair (350+ in attendance)

• Lecture Series - including staffed displays of plans for the
Garden. Sponsored by Portland Nursery and offered in partner-
ship with the Pacific Northwest College of Art and Portland Art
Museum.
Energizing a Place: New Darlingtonia's Home: Water and Green Thin Places:
Trends in Public Gardens The Unique Infrastructure: Gardens That Move You
Eco-systems of the Artful and Ecological
with Richard Hartlage, Principal/CEO with Richard Hartlage - Principal/CEO
Southern Oregon Treatment of
Land Morphology Land Morphology
Siskiyous Stormwater
Thursday, July 9 Thursday, October 22
6:oo pm with Erin Riggs & with Mike Faha, Principal 6-8 pm
Pacific Northwest College of Art Daniel Newberry GreenWorks Portland Art Museum
511 NW Broadway Portland, OR 1219 SW Park Ave. Portland, OR
Thursday, August 13 Thursday, September 24 Admission: FREE
Admission: FREE
7:00 pm 7:00 pm
Richard Hartlage's award-winning, innovative Leach Botanical Garden Leach Botanical Garden There are some places in this world that captivate
designs are renowned as emotive spaces that 6704 SE 122nd Ave. Portland, OR 6704 SE 122nd Ave. Portland, OR and inspire. They move us - sometimes for reasons
incorporate sophisticated horticulture, artful Admission: FREE Admission: FREE we can't express. There is a word for these desti-
detailing, and historical knowledge that heighten nations: they are called thin places.
the human experience of the natural world. If you spend time exploring in the Southern Artful rainwater design is an innovative
approach to sustainable stormwater Ancient, pre-Christian, people used the term to
Oregon Siskiyou Mountains, you are likely to
For this opening lecture, Richard will discuss how management through green infrastructure describe a place where the boundary between
come across several unique and fascinating
public spaces such as the Highline in New York, that celebrates rain. By celebrating the heaven and earth is especially thin. Thin Places
ecosystems. Erin and Daniel will talk about
City Garden in St. Louis and Millennium Park in infrastructure as a design element, we can be beautiful or austere, opulent or profane
some of these exceptional places and the
Chicago are having a profound influence on public achieve landscapes that perform at multiple but they always transport us. They nudge us out
plants that call them home. Discover the
gardens. Public gardens, to attract visitors and be levels through improved water quality, of our traditional ways of seeing the world, giving
story behind Oregon's lovely native Iris
relevant to the community, are no longer simply wildlife habitat, and human habitat. Often us a deep sense of the magnitude of the present.
innominata. Learn how local geology and
plant collections for a small group of knowledge- hydrology combine to create a fen, where modest in design, the impact of artful rain-
able gardeners but need to be dynamic cultural water design is found in its simplicity and Can gardens be thin places? Richard Hartlage
the beautiful, carnivorous Darlingtonia
institutions that appeal to a broad cross section harmonious integration with the natural suggests that, with thoughtful collaboration and
(Cobra lily) thrives. Leach Botanical Garden's
of the community. and built environment. discipline, they can. Not every project has the
new master plan includes a large water
intention of becoming a thin place, but those that
garden and fen that will feature many of
Richard's inspiring images convey a fresh and Leach Botanical Garden’s new master plan do can be a profound experience for the garden
the plants found in these special southern
exciting look at gardens as true works of art. calls for green infrastructure throughout, designer. Richard will talk about two significant
Oregon places.
See some of Richard's work at http://landmor- from green roofs and naturalistic storm- projects that changed how he perceives the process
phology.com/ water gardens to dynamic built features. of creating exceptional gardens that leave strong
Erin is a Research Botanist and Herbarium emotional impressions, and the ingredients
This lecture is offered in partnership Curator. Daniel is a hydrologist and the Mike is a founding principal of GreenWorks. necessary to imbue a place with meaning.
with the Pacific Northwest College Executive Director of the Johnson Creek His primary professional interest is in creat-
Watershed Council. He is the former director This lecture is offered in partnership with
of Art. ing livable, sustainable communities that bal-
of the Siskiyou Field Institute. the Portland Art Museum.
ance economic, ecological, and social needs.
Presentations have been reviewed and approved by the Oregon Chapter of ASLA for 1.0 Health, Safety and Welfare PDH each for Oregon Registered Landscape Architects.
Sponsored by
2015 Lecture Series
www.leachgarden.org 503-823-1671
What did we learn?

Comments from the public were received from a wide variety of
sources including the community survey, design-specific comment
cards, site tours, community meetings and presentations, and
staffed display opportunities. Overall, people were fascinated with
the potential of a new, beautiful garden for the public.
Broad themes from this outreach were consistent.

1. First and foremost, it is important that the Garden be a place for
beauty, relaxation, and reflection. This was specifically documented
in both the community surveys and comment cards. Places to sit
were also mentioned often.
2. People placed high value in Leach Garden as a horticultural

resource and place of learning - for both children and adults. Environ-
mental education was seen as a critical Garden mission. Plant labels
and interpretive signage were priorities.
3. There was broad interest in the aerial tree walk concept; most
seemed to prefer an undulating necklace shape.

4. The array of different gardens was fun and exciting for people
to contemplate. Other than the comment card input, we are not
able to judge relative interest from the broader community. But for
those we spoke with at various places (ex: Portland Nursery, Hardy
Plant Society Study Weekend, community meetings, etc.) it seemed
that the pond/fen, pollinator meadow, alpine garden and Gulliver's
garden were most intriguing to people. Nurturing and enhancing
the woodland hillside was also seen as important. This supports the
data from the comment cards.
5. For parents, opportunities for nature play and special interactive/

educational areas for children were very important.
Concerns & cautionary comments were also recorded.

1. Many felt the current Garden hours are too short.
2. Accessibility was a common theme, including pathway surfacing,
grade, etc.
3. Immediate neighbors have concerns about the impact of over-
flow parking, potential traffic on side streets and noise related to
Garden events, especially on the northeast side.
4. People completing comment cards had some cautionary obser-
vations about maintenance requirements and costs.
5. Concern about how much it would cost to visit the Garden in
multicultural queries as well as concern about language friendly
signage and materials at site
Multi-cultural Feedback
Cultural Ambassadors talked about the Garden with their com-
munities in Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese. When possible, they
completed the community survey. At other times, they simply told
people about the Garden. Again, some common themes emerged
from this effort. Generally, people had not heard of the Garden and
were excited to learn about it and to find that it was relatively close
to them. The most common question related to admission fees
which could make it difficult or impossible for people to visit. Trans-
portation and language barriers were also concerns. Leach Garden
Friends will continue efforts to build on these new relationships.
Participation in the Garden by people from diverse cultures will add
richness to the Garden development and programs. Concerns such
as information about the Garden, cost and access will continue to
be the topics of outreach.

Decision-making Process
In addition to the broad public outreach, key stakeholders met
regularly and responded to the design team’s draft concepts as well
as public comments, keeping in mind the Garden’s mission, values
and objectives. Decisions and direction for the design team were
complicated given that PP&R is the property owner and funding
organization, PDC is also a funding organization and LGF is the day-
to-day operator. So who makes decisions?
At the project outset, a matrix of responsibilities was drafted for re-

view by all involved. Consensus about decision-making was worked
out. Generally speaking, LGF as operators drafted recommended
decisions and directions and PP&R and PDC confirmed those deci-
sions as final. The broadest discussions and input were from the
Advisory Committee.
Garden staff participation

The staff met with the design team and brought forward their ideas
on day-to-day operations as well as the goals of the project. The
design team listened carefully and responded to staff ideas and
concerns.
Collections committee
The botanical collections committee provided detailed information
and thoughts on the existing collection. The inventory of plants was
a springboard for the team to develop the new gardens and collec-
tions. In addition, the detailed tree survey was a strong resource for
planning the new garden infrastructure.
Working Group
This group, formed in 2012, began to frame the project and designer
selection in June of 2014 and they continued to meet regularly
through schematic design phase. The Working Group was key to ef-
ficient dialogue with the design team, LGF and PP&R. They provided
information, responded to design ideas and drafted recommenda-
tions for direction on topics such as the tree walk, sustainability,
fencing and art. The decisions from these meetings went to the
Advisory Committee and PP&R for approval and then became the
project direction to the design team.
Advisory committee
The Upper Garden Advisory Committee, a sounding board for
project direction, met five times over the course of the schematic
design process. The committee members were drawn from various

connections with the community – East Portland businesses and

residents, the horticultural community, cross-cultural members,
the Regional Arts & Culture Council, immediate neighbors, and LGF
leadership, among others. There were five meetings over seven
months. Overall, the meetings were efficient, worked well and
focused on key design elements. The committee contributed feed-
back to the design team, who in turn responded with design modi-
fications. A good example was the Advisory Committee’s dialogue
on the centerpiece of lawn and meadow. The group discussed the
merit and functionality of the lawn versus the sustainability and
imageability of the pollinator meadow. The design team went back
to the drawing boards and found a successful balance.
Portland Parks and Recreation review and decisions

PP&R has been a key player through the Development Plan. Staff
and managers have contributed to the review of all plans and docu-
ments. A pivotal meeting in August 2015 included managers Lauren
McGuire, Kia Selley and Director Mike Abbate with a presentation
by Richard Hartlage and Sandy Fischer. The work was enthusiastical-
ly received with encouragement to build an exciting project focused
on the aerial tree walk in the first phase.
View up into a Japanese Maple along

a path in the historic garden.

Evolution of the Plan
A Discusion of Issues
The development plan sparked lively discussions throughout the
year and half. The following are some of the key discussion points.
1. Is Leach Botanical Garden a cultural center?

The design team repeatedly questioned the architectural program
and the distinction between a botanical garden and a cultural cen-
ter.
The perspective from both LFG and PP&R was that the Garden should
indeed serve as a cultural center. East Portland has few gathering
places for meetings and events and Leach Garden is well positioned
to serve that purpose. Given the cultural complexity of the outer east
population, a place is needed to celebrate ethnic festivals, to meet in a
welcoming atmosphere, and, at the same time to enjoy a truly beauti-
ful garden.
2. Entry and visibility off Foster Road versus SE 122nd Ave.

In previous years, acquisition of the property on the corner of SE
122nd Avenue and Claybourne was pursued. This property would
have allowed an ample entry. Ultimately however, the property
was not available for purchase. Subsequently, PP&R pursued and
acquired the Davis Property on SE Claybourne Street. With this deci-
sion came the possibility of acquiring additional easements for an
entry to the Garden off Foster Road.
Garden stakeholders were divided on the merits of entry off Foster.

For some it provided increased visibility and a more prominent op-
portunity for signage. For others, it meant affiliating the Garden with
the casual atmosphere of Foster Road and didn’t set the right ex-
perience or take advantage of the traffic signal at 122nd and Foster.
This discussion was carried out with the managers of PP&R and the
Working Group.
The decision to use SE 122nd as the entry was primarily secured with
two pieces of information. Lancaster Engineering did traffic counts on
SE 122nd to see if the sight lines from the road curve and left turn into
the Garden were safe. It was determined that given the actual and
posted speed for cars, the sight lines were sufficient. Secondly, Land
Morphology presented a design that created a gracious experience
with the entry from SE 122nd. The entry road winds through the ma-
ture Douglas Firs and creates an inviting first impression of the Garden.
With this information, the Working Group, Advisory Committee and Example of a contemporary moss
garden.

PP&R managers all agreed that the entry from SE 122nd fulfilled the
Garden’s needs.

3. Aerial tree walk - subtlety and excitement
Land Morphology presented the idea of a tree walk right from the
beginning of their work as a way to add a new experience to the
Garden and to link the new upper garden with the historic garden
by the Manor House.
The initial design was built around an elevator coming up from

the Manor House drive to the highest level of the tree walk. This
had the advantages of giving people a new element right from the
lower parking lot and also providing access for people with disabili-
ties. However, there were concerns from Garden staff, the Working
Group and the Advisory Committee. Wouldn’t the elevator conflict
with the character of the Manor House? What would maintenance
and safety be like for the outdoor elevator? Haven’t we seen them
fail in other Portland locations?
Land Morphology and Olson Kundig took these comments to heart

and came back with a design for the tree walk that took its point of
departure from the upper garden. Even so, how visible would the
walk be from the Manor House drive and how interesting would
the experience be? To help with these questions, PP&R brought an
arborist out to climb the trees and analyze the views.
The results were that the tree walk was pulled back and aligned to
weave through the trees and the design team added the elegant
“necklace” shape to the walk.
4. Can you get a cup of coffee?

What is the role of the Garden in the community? Is it a place to
visit occasionally or more regularly part of residents’ lives? As the
design evolved, the welcoming nature of the Garden and the arrival
sequence were discussed and refined. Could the community enjoy
the gift shop and meet for coffee without entering the garden?
How could the entrance design work both when the Garden is free
as well as when a fee is charged?
The design team worked on a solution that includes a courtyard with

a coffee cart, tables and chairs that would be outside any future
admission point. This will have views into the garden and will serve as
a potential meeting place. A market analysis is needed in the future to
predict the success of this business venture.
Pathway along Johnson Creek in
the historic garden.

5. Fencing, security and a walk along SE 122nd Avenue

The increased capital investment, valuable and transportable plants
and the attraction of the aerial tree walk all suggested to LGF that
the Garden be fenced for security with minimal perimeter fencing.
Some fencing exists today but more would be needed, especially at
the new entrance.
The feeling was that fencing should be effective but as minimal as

possible. Land Morphology provided a design for fence layout and the
Working Group gave review comments.
Pollinator garden example
One of the tricky design questions about fencing was whether a
public walkway in the Garden and parallel to SE 122nd should be
built and how would it relate to the security fence. At the time of
this writing, there are not clear requirements for this path. How-
ever, neighbors have made the excellent point that the curvilinear
street, flanked by steep slopes and forest, offer no options for safe
sidewalks. The only option for safe walking is within the Garden
itself. PP&R staff and the Working Group discussed the challenges
and costs of building a public walkway that is as accessible as pos-
sible.
Generally it was felt that, should the first phase be modestly funded,
the walkway should wait until a later, more fully funded, phase.
Should the first phase be well-funded, then the public walkway will be
a priority.
6. Pollinator garden and lawn

Both the Working Group and the Advisory Committee wrestled
with the design of the main open space in front on the buildings.
This is the space that will make the first impression of the Garden
and most likely stay with people as a key image. The multi-purpose
building needs lawn so that events can spill out and have exhibits
etc. Land Morphology has stunning pollinator meadows that would
also be perfect for this area and would convey a message about
sustainability. So which should it be? The merits of both approaches
were discussed.
Sizes for events were evaluated and the design team came back with a
balance of the two that works well in the space.

Developing a Strong Start
Phasing & Funding Considerations
Vision
The project funding began with LGF securing a capital campaign
manager. With this expertise on board, a private funding feasibility
study was undertaken that included interviews with approximately
30 potential donors. The work in the summer of 2015 began to posi-
tion the project for a strong public/private funding approach.
The development plan evolved over 2015 with inspiring designs by

the design team and careful discussion by the stakeholders. The
landscape and architectural plans fulfill the desire and need for a
strong vision that can be built incrementally and will be worthy
of the fundraising effort. Both capital and operations funding are
expected to increase as visitation increases. As designed, the full
build out of the project will support visitation of 150,000 to 200,000
per year and will require an operating budget of approximately $1
million.
Recognizing that the vision will be implemented incrementally, the

development plan identifies a series of capital and operations proj-
ects. Each project is associated with one or more plan objectives
that are supported by the Leach Strategic Plan. The projects include
infrastructure, access and parking, buildings, gardens, pathways, “For the Garden to thrive,
wayfinding, and landscaping. Capital budgets are associated with we must offer elements that
each project. draw repeat visitation.”
Leach Botanical Garden
Key to the phasing approach is a strong first phase. To create excite- Board of Directors
ment, raise funds and signal a new day for Leach Garden, the first
phase must draw people to the Garden and give them an experi-
ence they want to repeat and tell their friends about. After consid-
ering the matter, the Advisory Committee, LGF and PP&R felt that
the first phase needs to include the aerial tree walk and enhanced
gardens.
Phasing Matrix
The phasing matrix, shown on the next page, organizes the devel-
opment plan construction into three tiers. Each tier has a project list
that associates individual projects with objectives of the strategic
plan and presents a project cost in present day dollars. The tiers and
associated projects are generally organized in phases with more
near-term projects in Tier 1. An exciting first phase will be drawn
from this list of projects.

Tier 2 projects are mid-term with most focused on investments in in-

frastructure, parking and gardens. Most of the new and more com-
plex gardens are in Tier 2. Tier 3 addresses longer range and more
expensive projects that will require infrastructure investments prior
to or concurrent with implementation. All of the building projects
are listed in Tier 3. Specific funding for the buildings could alter the
sequence of construction and move them forward in time.
LEACH BOTANICAL GARDEN UPPER GARDEN DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Objectives, Project List
First phase costs and land use

At the time of this writing, the first phase construction project is
being formed. Additional public and private funds are being consid-
ered to increase the budget for the first phase. When the first phase
is determined, the associated land use process will begin. A condi-
tional use and public process will be undertaken when parking and
significant expansion of the Garden is budgeted.
Three budget-level cost estimates were prepared as part of the

development plan. The estimate from the 2012 master plan was up-
dated. A schematic design estimate was prepared to assist decision
making on project priorities. The estimator, Mitali and Associates,
focused on the architecture. Land Morphology developed site, land-
scape and utility budgets, referencing the 2012 estimate, the firm’s
database of costs and costs for similar gardens.
The costs for Tier 1A-1C and 2A projects are based on quantity

take-offs from the full set of schematic design plans. Square foot
budgets were used for many of the remaining projects in tiers 2 and
3. The estimate addresses capital project costs. Operational costs
were estimated by LGF with input from PP&R.
With the vision developed here and a strong start, Leach Garden
will increase its role as a significant place for learning, relaxing, and
community. Over time, the Garden has the potential to be a signifi-
cant resource for the neighborhood, East Portland, the Portland
metro region, and a garden of national interest.
iinar
Lilla Leach is credited with discovering

MARGORP NEDRAG & ETI
Sedum moranii in June 1928.
Jack-in-the-Pulpits delight Garden visi-

tors in early spring.

Upper Garden De-
velopment Plan
illustration

A Magical Transformation

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Darlingtonia

Design Team Leach Garden Friends

Working Group: Irene Bowers, Gay Greger, Amy Miller-

ii Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan

Portland Parks & Recreation iii

iv Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan

Portland Parks & Recreation v

In this report we take a leap and conjecture that the ingredients of

At the time of this writing, Leach Garden is indeed a wonderful

In addition to a dedicated community, certainly one ingredient must

Chihuly Garden & Glass

Portland Parks & Recreation 1

“I have always had a philosophy that if a community furnishes a per-

John & Lilla Leach

Their most remarkable discovery came in the spring of 1930 in the

Thrilled? We were! I felt sure I had found something new.”

The Leaches ended their active exploration with the outbreak of

The other genus discovered by Mrs. Leach was Bensonia oregana, a

In addition to his botanical wanderings, John Leach was a true “civic

Creating the Garden

Portland Parks & Recreation 5

Families exploring Leach Garden 

2010 1999 1984

East Terrace and Carriage House

6 Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan

Leach Botanical Garden is poised to become one of the important

In the past botanical gardens have been specialized places with a

Strong design elements proposed by Land Morphology will delight

Portland Parks & Recreation 7

Building enthusiasm is key to the success of this project. Emphasis

Leach Botanical Garden has arrived at an exciting nexus. It’s time

8 Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan

Leach Garden Friends (LGF) have been courting a transformation of

In preparation for this Development Plan, LGF laid the groundwork

Public partners have also been working toward change. In 2008,

In addition to inspiration and great partners, the beginning of the

Pivotal decision - design team selection

Portland Parks & Recreation 9

as community leaders who were passionate about sophisticated

• Design Excellence – Leach Botanical Garden's beauty and

• Botanical Garden Expertise – Outstanding botanical col-

• Circulation for the Upper Garden – Key to the success of

The selected team is led by Land Morphology. Their presentation

The framework for the design was initiated at the first

The key design concepts, including use of water, artistic

the development plan. (See full plan fold-out on page 44.)

Site Organization riparian zone

by Land Morphology, Richard Hartlage, Sandy Fischer Ecological

site’s culture and ecology. The relationship of ecological

transect, or line, with the cultural transect is the con-

buildings and gathering spaces are organized along the

Places and Stories

The transect is an organizing principle that draws

strength from the stories that can be told. The north/

south transect has five levels starting with the ripar-

as visitors move through the Garden.

Spatial Design Plan

Portland Parks & Recreation 11

Historic Garden: Preservation of Historic collections Leach history and

Forest: Restoration of forest Forest floor, canopy New perspectives,

12 Leach Botanical Garden Development Plan

Upper Garden Centerpiece: Pollinator Garden and Tree Walk

Upper Garden Centerpiece: