Portland Japanese Garden
It’s going to be an awesome weekend in Portland with highs in the mid-60s and lows in the 40′s under partly cloudy to sunny skies so what’s the best use of that kind of weather? Heading outside, of course! And if you have not yet explored and experienced the five gardens at the Japanese Gardens, there’s probably not going to be a better weekend to do it than this one. The beauty of the five gardens is that each one is designed to deliver a desired effect to the senses while affording the continuity of nature’s singular beauty. Inspired by Shinto, Buddhist, and Taoist philosophies, each garden offers its own delights. The Sand and Stone Garden pays homage to dry landscaping (often referred to as Zen gardening). The Natural Garden is the most contemporary in style of the five, but it stands spectacular with its dense trees and shrubs, and since it focuses primarily on deciduous plants, you can bet it’ll be in full transition. The Flat garden is known to provide distinctively beautiful seasonal display, so right there is a reason to enjoy it as autumn sets in. The Strolling Pond Garden provides visual enticement while viewing the Upper Pond and Lower Ponds from their respective bridges. And the fifth garden, the Tea Garden, really requires no further commentary since it speaks directly to all that a Japanese garden should be. So head on out and find your Zen there’s probably no better time to do it than now.