Elk Rock Garden - Portland, Oregon

09/03/2026

Lost dog found at Elk Rock Garden earlier today -- we really want to help reunite him with his owner but he has no collar and no microchip. Please call or email us if you know who he belongs to. Thanks!

08/11/2026

Join the Olmsted Network at Elk Rock Garden on September 23, 2026, for an intimate gathering exploring the remarkable and often-overlooked legacy of Olmsted-designed private estates and residential communities across Portland and the Pacific Northwest.

Posted on August 8, 2026 by Stephanie BrownOlmsted Salon: Private Designs in the Pacific Northwest (Hosted by Olmsted Network) – September 23, 2026 Location: Elk Rock Garden, 11800 S Military Lane, Portland Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM, PT Price: $65 Purchase Tickets: https://olmsted.org/events/olms...

07/21/2026

Free webinar tomorrow!

Join us for our next free webinar on Tuesday, July 21, exploring Portland's Elk Rock Garden!

Together with historian Eileen Fitzsimons and Stephanie Brown of Elk Rock Garden - Portland, Oregon, we will explore the rich history and evolving future of one of Oregon's most beloved landscapes.

Register: https://ow.ly/FOkH50Zb90G

07/13/2026

Ticketing info can be found here: https://olmsted.org/events/olmsted-salon-private-designs-in-the-pacific-northwest/

On September 23, we are excited to host Olmsted Salon: Private Designs in the Pacific Northwest.

This intimate luncheon at Elk Rock Garden - Portland, Oregon will explore the legacy of Olmsted-designed private estates and residential communities throughout the region—we hope you'll join us for a unique opportunity to connect with interested landscape professionals and enthusiasts!

Learn more: https://olmsted.org/salon/

06/13/2026

Join us for our first annual Tea in the Garden fundraiser at Elk Rock Garden on Saturday, June 27 at 2pm.

Launch your summer season with an afternoon of elegance, purpose and generosity!

Dress the part: seersucker, fancy hats and floral attire are strongly encouraged.

A limited number of tickets are still available for $250 each. Reserve yours here: https://givebutter.com/tea-in-the-garden-fundraiser-o4kf60

Elk Rock Garden is a private, nonprofit garden that has been free and open to the public since 1959. Your ticket purchase and attendance at this event directly support our mission to conserve, restore and enhance this historic property as a community resource and a nationally-recognized center for nature-based learning and climate resilience.

* This botanical drawing dates to the early 1900s. According to archival photos, forget-me-nots were growing in abundance at Elk Rock Garden around the same time period.

The Pacific Northwest is home to two native varieties of forget-me-nots: Myosotis laxa (a wetland variety) and Myosotis Alpestris (a subalpine variety.) Both have bloomed in this region for centuries.

Join us for an afternoon of elegance, purpose and generosity. Together we can make a difference!

05/23/2026

Snails have slowly moved into downtown Milwaukie. They’re tucked beneath benches, clinging to street poles and hiding near crosswalks.

The small metal sculptures — made from bent railroad spikes, bolts and screws — form an interactive treasure hunt. Find enough of them, and you can unlock a code to a hidden safe to claim a prize.

It’s called Snail Hunt, created by a Milwaukie man who goes by the moniker “Banksie,” with the letters i and e to honor his hometown.

Read more at https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2026/05/a-guerrilla-artist-hid-15-snails-across-milwaukie-finding-them-unlocks-a-secret-prize.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhfacebook&utm_content=app.dashsocial.com%2Ftheoregonian%2Flibrary%2Fmedia%2F675508256

05/22/2026

What a happy surprise to be included alongside such beautiful fellow historic gardens! https://savingplaces.org/stories/from-our-readers-favorite-gardens

If you had a perfect spring afternoon to spend among the flowers, which historic gardens would you visit?

05/22/2026

05/11/2026

For six decades, the Elk Rock Garden property was home to the Episcopal Church in Western Oregon. During that time, the garden was known as Elk Rock Garden of the Bishop's Close. However, that chapter has come to a CLOSE. (Pun intended 😄). Because we no longer have a bishop here, we're now simply known as Elk Rock Garden. We're still free and open to the public, as we have been since 1959, but these days our historic manor house is home to a wonderful community of mission-aligned nonprofits: Willamette Riverkeeper, the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, the ISLE Project, and our own 501c3 nonprofit organization which is dedicated to restoring and maintaining this beloved garden as a community resource. https://elkrockgarden.org/

05/11/2026

On Saturday, May 9, Elk Rock Garden hosted its first-ever Three Garden Tour, giving ticketholders a rare opportunity to explore three historic Kerr Family Gardens: Elk Rock Garden (the beloved home and garden of Peter Kerr) and the homes and gardens of his two daughters, Jane (Kerr) Platt and Ann (Kerr) McDonald.

The weather was perfect; our hosts, visitors, and volunteers were wonderful; and the energy was absolutely magical! Together we raised $7,500 for the care and maintenance of Elk Rock Garden. Thank you to all who made this possible!

We're already dreaming about future offerings. Tell us in the comments: what kind of tour would you love to attend next?
🌷Another Three Garden Tour?
✨ A manor house tour?
🌿 Horticultural deep-dives?
📜 History-focused garden tours?
🔭 A look at our future plans?
🏛️ Historic preservation tours?
Drop your vote below — we can't wait to do this again!