Garden Happenings and News

The flowers are really starting to strut their stuff as we shift into April. After heavy March rains that pushed Johnson Creek into flood stage (11 feet above normal!), we are now celebrating the first few 70 degree+ days of the year. The bees are buzzing, the trees are pollinating, and the birds are having a grand old time with their full throated nest building. 

We’ve got more good news -  two generous anonymous donors collectively gave $240,000 to the Garden in March. This means that we have now secured enough funding to remain open at our reduced staffing levels through December 2026! Thank you to everyone who has shared the message about our funding gap and responded to the need. We are in a much better position now to plan for the future.

Since the moment we put out our emergency call for support on February 10, the community has rallied around us in a variety of ways to ensure that this treasured community space remains open. We’ve received more than a thousand donations of all sizes for a cumulative total that exceeds $600,000, we’ve had a major uptick in visitation (3,499 visitors in March, a 54% increase over last year), giftstore and membership purchases, and dozens of ambitious volunteers have stepped up (many helping out weekly)  to help keep the Garden beautiful while working alongside our Horticulture staff. It is unbelievably heartwarming to our hardworking staff that you all showed up for us like this. 

In less good news: 

We have continued to have conversations with the City of Portland about future funding, and I’ll be honest, it doesn’t look good. The city’s budget forecasts are… well, you can read the news as well as I can.. it’s bleak. So, we are creating budget scenarios that plan for a future without funding from the City of Portland. There is so much uncertainty around the city budget for the coming year and while we are still hopeful that there will be some amount of support for the garden moving forward, we are simultaneously working on budgets that plan for less hopeful contingencies. 

Taking control of our future:

One of the ways we are taking control of our own financial future is by growing our monthly donations. Consistent support in the form of recurring monthly donations helps create predictable income to pay for recurring expenses. We are working toward a goal of having $5,000 in monthly gifts and we are getting close! Just 57 more donors giving $10 (or more) per month will let us meet this goal. 

Become a Monthly Donor

We are also planning an increase in admission fees (and memberships) to be effective on July 1. This will help us narrow the forecasted deficit for our July-June 2027 fiscal year by more than $100,000. 

And we are exploring other ways to boost income and cut expenses so we can operate the garden in the black. Small changes and small contributions can add up to create the garden we all want and deserve well into the future. 

More good things are coming: 

• Soon you’ll see a significant number of new plants going in around the Manor House thanks to a donation from Monrovia. And our pathways are getting cleared more easily thanks to the donation of an electric blower from Ego Power Plus. These types of donations help keep the Garden looking good year round. If you own a business and would like to make a donation of goods or services, reach out to our Development Director at development@leachgarden.org to discuss. 
• Next, as a gift for you for reading this far into the newsletter, here’s a secret tip: Quietly, and without fanfare we are opening the new pedestrian bridge across Johnson Creek on April 16. Shhh. Only tell your friends and loved ones.  Lest we get overrun with people all wanting to see the bridge on the same day, we are keeping the bridge opening announcement on the down low.  Let’s let people find delight in the re-discovery of this access to the stone cottage and the south side trails of the historic garden. Special thanks to hundreds of donors who helped us raise the funds to purchase a replacement for the bridge that washed away in December of 2020. Your contributions matter! We did it! 
• And at the end of May we have a lovely surprise to share that will open up a whole new garden experience for people who have been “peering over the fence” for the last 10 years wondering what the “Back 5” is all about. 

Good things are happening thanks to you. 

For those of you who haven’t been out to the Garden yet this spring, there’s a bounty of spring blooms to enjoy. Trilliums, fawn lilies, and magnolias. Oh My!  There’s beauty around every corner. See you in the Garden.

Kalmeopsis Image: Tamra Tiemeyer