Portland: Bella Madrona

If you've been upset by all of the shorter posts I've been making for the past few weeks, and wish I'd do one of those 40-photo monsters, you're in for a treat! Today I show you the last garden from July's Garden Bloggers Fling in Portland, a big, mature, "anything goes" type of garden.

It's called "Bella Madrona", and it was just wonderful! Seemingly miles of paths through heavily-planted, intimate spaces, loads of eclectic garden art -- both the created and "found" types -- and many mature specimens of all sizes make this the type of garden I'd be thrilled to call my own.

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I believe this garden is 30 years old (possibly more), and maintaining it must be a full-time job for more than one person. If a little bit of age creeps into the garden furnishings or structures, that just adds to the character, right?

Rather than try to talk you through a tour of the place, I'm just going to present the photos. As usual with my garden tour posts, there will be a mixture of wide shots and close-up looks at some of the details. I probably could have taken twice as many photos as I did, and I'm not even certain that I saw the entire garden.

(I started out taking no photos, then took lots of wide shots, then focused on details. So you'll see more closeups toward the end.)

It was a perfect ending to a wonderful weekend of garden tours in Portland!

One of the Madrona trees for which the garden was named

Yes, that's part of an airplane!

I need more rusty metal in my garden

Also need more peeling bark!

Not bark, but totally works in this garden!

I think I scared away one of the garden elves who was hard at work!

Really a magical place, although I believe it is on the market as it's become too much for the garden's creators. Will it remain the amazing garden it is, or is it slated for commercial development in the future? (Please correct me if I'm wrong about this!)

Possibly my favorite garden of the Fling!

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