No Room for a Botanical Garden in the Neighborhood? Nonsense, Says Lents!

Lately, if anyone mentioned the East Portland neighborhood of Lents, the talk would likely turn towards the battle over whether or not Lents Park should be the site of a new Minor League Baseball stadium. The sleepy little neighborhood seemed to come alive to fight for the preservation of their park. The reality is, however, that this neighborhood, often referred to as on the verge of regeneration, is already humming with community involvement. This was recently evidenced by the above-and-beyond response of residents to clean up Southeast Ramona Street in preparation for the upcoming Ramona Street Fair.

The Portland Development Commission (PDC), that is organizing the street fair to celebrate the opening of the new Max Green Line, hopes that the event will bring visitors to the neighborhood. The PDC contacted Jeff Rose, a Lents Neighborhood Association board member, for some help in promoting the event within the community.

"I'm an idea guy," Rose admits, "especially when it comes to the neighborhood." He started the I Love Lents web site, and manages their blog. When the PDC came to him to ask him to organize a bit of a clean-up at the site of the street fair, he already had a much bigger plan working in his head.

A big fan of the nearby Leach Botanical Garden, Rose was impressed with the large numbers of plants that John and Lilla Leach had collected and cataloged from around the world, but was even more impressed with the many native species represented. Rose, who had previously only planted one, invasive, non-native clematis on his back fence, was suddenly motivated to stick with natives.

"Why not plant things that are supposed to be here," Rose says of his change of heart. "I feel strongly about buying locally produced foods, why not plant a garden that is made up of native plants? They ought to grow better, and they'll look better if you're going for a natural look."

He moved beyond his own backyard and planted the parking strip in front of his home with a variety of native species. His idea was that it might start a conversation among passersby about planting natives.

"When the PDC came to me and asked if I could organize a clean up of the street for the fair, a light bulb went off," Rose says. He thought of taking what he had done in front of his home and extending it through the neighborhood. With the PDC's help, Rose could organize volunteers to plant the parking strips from 92nd Avenue to the dead end at 205 on Southeast Ramona, but he imagines this small endeavor evolving into a much larger one. He envisions what he calls the Lents Linear Garden.

"If it could meander through 30 or 40 blocks—imagine how many people could be exposed to native plants," Rose says. "People walking through the neighborhood would be walking along a garden. Sunny streets, shaded streets, so many different plants could be represented. Who knows how many plants could be introduced to people!" Rose sees beyond the purpose of educating folks on native plant species.

"It could bring more people out and about, taking walks, meeting neighbors. More people will explore Lents." He says he believes more people will feel invested in the area—less inclined to tolerate litter, graffiti, and other types of crime.

The PDC was thrilled with the idea, and was able to offer the money to buy most of the materials. Rose recruited volunteers and organized work parties. He planned the organization of the strips—each one representing a different region. "Vignettes of the Northwest," he says with a laugh. There is a section with a sub-Alpine theme, a rock garden, a coastal garden, a butterfly garden. He has been careful to choose plants that are commercially available, "or should be," he adds with a smile. He places a stake with the common name of each, hoping that this will be an educational garden.

"Part art project, part learning experience," Rose calls it. "It's our own botanical garden, running right through our neighborhood." He hopes the excitement about this project will catch on. The street fair, slated for Saturday, Sept. 12th, should surely bring some exposure to the plan.

"These plants are low maintenance, but it would be nice to get others involved to manage the maintenance that is required," Rose explains. There are members of the neighborhood involved; while I interviewed Rose, two people—one neighbor and one man with gardening experience who happened to be visiting Rose's neighbor, joined in to help plant. Volunteers from a group called Second Stories have also participated, and Rose's own dad has been a big contributor. With a work party this past weekend, the project is just about ready for its unveiling at the street fair.

I contacted Rose after we met, to see if the work party went well, despite the less-than-stellar weather that day.

"It went absolutely fabulously—despite the downpour," Rose told me with his signature enthusiasm. "We managed to get almost every plant in the ground—with the help of [city councilwoman] Amanda Fritz! I think that the garden is going to make a real splash. In all, we had about 10 volunteers out working."

"This is a great area with lots of potential," Rose, who has lived in the neighborhood for 5 years, says. Projects like the Lents Linear Garden are sure to encourage others in the area to take the same pride in the place they call home.