Admiring the November garden at Portland's Lan Su

I used to be a member and visit Lan Su (Portland’s Chinese Garden), all the time—not anymore. Now my visits are typically restricted to the annual Chrysanthemum Festival at the beginning of November. It’s a great time to visit the garden though, and not just for the flowers. Lan Su does autumn well…

The garden is a rock-lovers paradise. Not only are the pathway mosaics beautiful, but there are rocks everywhere in the plantings.

Speaking of those plantings, there are also containers throughout the garden. In the entrance courtyard, pomegranates…

And this jaunty bonsai…

The container and groundcover are a great match.

Sadly, over the years many of the larger plants I used to visit (a Daphniphyllum, Mahonia, a large orange blooming Edgeworthia) have disappeared. However, there’s still a lot to love, especially if you look at the details, like this Asarum emerging from the mini mondo grass.

Of course you need to remember to look up at the big picture too..

Lysimachia paridiformis var. stenophylla

Taking in this view I realized I was looking at a Trachycarpus trunk (palm)…

Yep, that’s a tall one.

There were another couple just outside the garden walls.

Their loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) was in bloom.

And the bark of the Lagerstroemia was coordinating nicely with it’s leaves… bonus moss and ferns!

Their patch of Pyrrosia sheareri has tripled in size over the years I’ve been visiting.

Backside view…

I didn’t catch the name of this conifer, but appreciate it’s blue and green mix.

My favorite stage of Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’.

Begonia grandis in front, Loropetalum chinense at the back.

Pinus bungeana

Heptacodium miconoides, aka seven sons flower.

It's kind of an awkward tree, but the flowers are interesting.

Persimmon, Diospyros kaki ‘Hachiya’.

I’ve tried and failed to grow Iris domestica, the blackberry lily. I love those seeds!

Finally, a couple of lotus foliage and seed pod appreciation photos…

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