The winter garden at McMenamins Grand Lodge

It's always exciting to explore a new-to-me outpost of the garden-loving local McMenamins chain of pub/restaurant/hotel/movie theatres. I frequently visit my neighborhood Kennedy School, last March I explored their Cornelius Pass Roadhouse location and in September met up with the Outlaw at the Elks Temple, in Tacoma. This location, in Forest Grove—a suburb some 30 miles west of Portland—sits on an expansive piece of property.

There are two large brick buildings, this being the smaller one.

One online source describes the lodge as a former "Masonic Rest Home" saying; "it was built in 1922 by the Oregon Masonic Lodge to house the widows, children, and infirm surviving family of their members who'd passed on."

Since I am always on the hunt for agaves, it was nice to see these right away and know I wouldn't be disappointed. 

Here I was trying for a shot of the generous planting of Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress', but ended up enjoying the lush explosion of green from above and below.

I'm always happy to see a planting of aspidistra (cast iron plant), I think they're under appreciated as outdoor plants. 

There were a couple of these metal slides off the back of the building, one in the background of the photo above and one below. I wonder what purpose they served? Laundry? An easy way to get rid of the bodies? They were filled with leaves and other debris so not currently in use.

Here's the front of the main lodge building—I did make it inside on this visit.

Looks like a nice private sit-spot once the branches are leafed out.

Unfortunately there's no room for a Garrya elliptica (silk-tassel) in my garden, so I am always thrilled to find them when I'm out and about.

The air was still, so the tassels weren't moving and I was able to go in for a close-up. So furry!

I posted a photo of this fern on Instagram and got a lot of possible names, Dryopteris affinis ‘Cristata the King’ seemed to be the winner. 

An overall shot.

Tetrapanax papyrifer in a holding pattern until the temperatures warm.

Another...

This "pond" was at the corner of the property, I wonder if it holds water year-round, or is just a wet-season feature?

No doubt this area has an entirely different atmosphere in the summertime.

The lodge, from another vantage point.

Helleborus foetidus

I couldn't decide which photo I liked best, so you get them both.

There were lots of options for outdoor dining and drinking, none open yet when I was there.

Yucca rostrata!

And a couple more agaves, although they looked so sad I didn't go any closer.

The yucca looked happy though.

There was a planting of several Daphniphyllum macropodum around what appeared to be a performance area adjacent to the outdoor drinking/dining facilities. It was fun to see so many of these small trees in one place.

It was also nice to see they were all a little "deflated" like my plants at home are. Probably a reaction to the cool temperatures?

Now it's time for the hamamelis (witch hazel) show! They had some lovely specimens

And variegated bamboo, too!

Gorgeous.

That's the tour, I hope you enjoyed wandering the garden as much as I did. I'll try to make a point of going back in the summer to see how it looks during the growing season.

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