In the book, 1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die …there’s an entry for an iconic 20th Century Modern public space in Portland, Oregon: Ira Keller Fountain Park. In this city that celebrates fountains, the Ira Keller fountain reprises in all its contemporary angularity the wondrous power of the natural world, encountered an hour or so outside the urban environment.
Designed by Angela Danadjieva, associate of renowned American landscape architect, Lawrence Halprin, the interactive water feature achieved the goal of providing access to water so that people might revel in its sensory pleasures. The city of Portland clearly appreciates the many ways that fountains enliven a neighborhood, offering pleasurable spots for families and friends to
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Plant shopping while in Portland? You’ll want to plan a stopover at one of the Portland area’s most enticing plant emporiums: Cistus Nursery, operated by plantsman extraordinaire, Sean Hogan; author of Trees For All Seasons & Flora: The Gardener’s Bible. Make your way 20 minutes north of Portland to Cistus on Sauvie Island, a bucolic landscape of you-pick organic farms to delight foodies, beach camping, and a marina situated along the Multnomah Channel.
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Portland is on top of the Green Scene. Visitors to ‘PDX’ (that’s how most Portlanders refer to their city) discover eco-roofs on public and private buildings, alike. Wildflowers and organic veggies are cultivated on the Multnomah County Building. The city’s Central Library features a beautiful green roof planted with 17,000 succulents and grasses. And one of the city’s top wine bars, Noble Rot has its own culinary garden atop the 4th floor of a LEED platinum certified
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