12 July: Portland Japanese Garden

Saturday, 12 July 2014

Garden Bloggers Fling

The tour bus did not leave till 9:30 AM, for which I was grateful as I had a new problem: having been favouring my left leg, I had put too much stress on an old injury on my right leg, and now my knee was, as they say, “OUT”. I definitely needed the extra time to get ready.

on our hotel windowsill

I was feeling rather worried as we went down the elevator to the lobby, and I sat while Allan went down the street to get us some espresso.

From where I sat waiting in the lobby of the Portland Marriott Hotel.

Having to sit so much made me determined to try to find views to enjoy.

The lobby soon began to fill with bloggers.

day 2: a shorter day

Portland Japanese Garden

As we left the tour bus (and I was missing our driver from the day before, Andy, who had been so kind and helpful), I was daunted by a flight of stairs and stood at the bottom contemplating them for awhile. I’d lost the other bloggers somewhere up top.

So I climbed them, and then looking down I saw that organizer Heather had driven round in her truck to see if I needed help…but I couldn’t get back down again.

far, far down

There was a moment when I was bent over and literally could not move and thought the fling was over for me (and maybe my career as a gardener as well. But I regrouped, as Allan came over and walked me across the street. I could not even step off the curb without help. Ironically, there had been a sloped sidewalk half a block down that I could have used instead of the stairs. We were able to catch a shuttle bus up the long hill to the Japanese Garden.

There was a fairly level way to get into the Japanese Garden and I was able to see a bit of it.

this

and then I started looking for a sit spot in the shade as I could not get down to a waterfall pond.

This easy path beckoned.

I found a place to sit on a deck by the sand garden and turned my mind to trying to contemplate in a zen way.

telephoto across the sand

the view from my bench

As someone who does physical work for a living every day, I was finding the contemplative life did not come naturally. As the time came to go to the rose test garden far below, I decided I had better start walking to the entry gate of the Japanese garden.

around the building by the sand garden

the shady side

the view from behind the building

Portland

Fortunately, Allan had been able to walk through most or all of the Japanese garden and taking photographs so that I (and you) could see what I had missed. Had it not been for knowing I’d get to see pictures later, I would have become seriously depressed.

Allan’s tour of the Japanese Garden:

These photos are in order as he walked through, and make me feel like I have seen the garden and examined the little details as I would have done had I been there in person.

entry gate

Kirstin and I, perhaps discussing hips and knees.

sloping path to waterfall where I had to turn back

bridge and koi

roof of a little building; Allan says it was “the overnight house”

view from overnight house

inside the overnight house

the little house’s own little landscape

with a privacy fence

leaving the overnight house

stunning photo, Allan!!

(I’d have a hard time with these vertiginous steps at any time after age about 45.)

He says he was thinking of my new mobility problems as he saw the stairs and little bridges and a sign that said “Caution: Uneven Stairs. Slippery When Wet.”

the caution sign

 

Here’s another bloggers fling post with beautiful photos and insight into the Japanese garden.

After the Japanese Garden, Heather did meet me in her small truck to drive me down to the rose garden, only to find that I couldn’t even get into it. I think I have never in my life been so bunged up. Fortunately, the shuttle was running up and down the hill, so I was able to take that transport down.

Next: The International Rose Test Garden