Thankfully (surprisingly) that's not what happened! From the Spring 2024 edition of the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon's Quarterly magazine: "Elk Rock Garden is the legacy of Peter Kerr, a grain merchant originally from Scotland, who moved to the land in 1893 and purchased it in 1905. The 1916 manor house was built for Kerr and his family on a site selected for its Mount Hood view. Although Kerr hired John Olmstead of the Olmstead Brothers landscape architecture firm to evaluate the site and Portland’s first superintendent of parks to develop a planting scheme, it is understood that Kerr largely followed his own inclinations in creating what now may be the oldest private estate garden in the Pacific Northwest. It features an extensive plant collection, including rare and native trees, shrubs, and perennials, many of which are labeled. A winding stream, edged with lush plantings, ferns, and moss-covered rock, is a particular highlight."
But first, a few more photos in the garden. I usually catch this Wisteria sinensis 'Alba' after it's lost its leaves and is just a gnarly old trunk. This visit I got to see (and smell) the flowers!
The Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress' here look better than in many gardens around town (winter damage).
Pacific Coast iris
This pedestal (and it's twin across the pathway) is usually topped by an urn, recently planted with a sculptural dark-leaved astelia.
Well, at least it's still nearby.
Looking across the front parking area...
Maybe Rhododendron 'Medusa'? A Facebook friend posted a photo of his blooming plant by that name and it looked quite similar.
The house from across the garden.
Loropetalum chinense 'Pipa's Red'
I couldn't decide which photo I liked better, so you get both.
Even though I live in the land of ginormous rhododendrons it still inspires awe when I see a house-sized one.
Much smaller than the rhododendron, this pieris was certainly just as impressive, with that blood-red foliage.
A look east across the Willamette River towards Mt Hood, that's a million dollar (+) view.
Laburnum
Their Rhododendron sinograde was looking quite sad too (like mine and many others here in the PNW), still, it bloomed.
I didn't catch the name of this purple rhody, it's color change from the typical shades of pink was appreciated.
Okay, a couple of photos from inside the house. First off, the front entry door is behind me, but the hallway shoots straight through to another door that opens next to the huge white wisteria I shared earlier at the back of the house.
It's a door to that opens to the million dollar view of Mt Hood in the distance (it's there, look closely).
The dining room with its long table and wide mantel.
As a person with a background in historic lighting I couldn't help but be horrified at the many florescent box lights that had been mounted throughout the house. There were several questionable choices made throughout the years as updates happened. What were they thinking!?!
Ending on a better note, this piece of furniture (which had me thinking of a baptismal font—after all the mansion had very recently been the home of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon—but no doubt I'm wrong) held a great selection of houseplants in a sunny window.
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