Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
My last outing of the year on the last day of the year was to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden here in Portland. You might not be aware but the American Rhododendron Society was born in Portland and Crystal Springs was its first test garden. The name derives from natural springs that feed the lake.
The disruptions of the 1940s made communications by American enthusiasts with the established British Rhododendron System Society frustratingly slow, or even impossible, especially from the West Coast. And so the ARS was born. The first members were all at-large but the Society proved popular and many regional branches started up across the country.
Crystal Springs is actually quite near the Fuchsietum so I walked. Of course there’s almost nothing in bloom right now but winter walks are a serene pleasure of their own. The rains stopped for a while and the cloudy winter skies opened to let stretches of blue escape. And a great blue heron appeared across the lake as well.
Oh, and Find the Fuchsia!
