Docent Led Tours

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Tours include a variety of subjects including trees, romance, architecture, and more. All tours include a visit to the Stone Cabin. Garden admission is included in the $5 fee.
Please note:
Each tour involves navigating stairs and sloped, uneven trails.
The Stone Cabin

The Garden Exploration Tour

October 11th & 25th, 1-2 PM

Would you like to learn more about the garden while exploring the Aerial Tree Walk, woodsy pathways, and creekside habitat? You’ll see what’s currently in bloom, meet the garden’s four heritage trees, learn about Lilla and John Leach’s botanical adventures, and visit the historic Stone Cabin.

About your guide:  Jill Hrdlicka is a retired educator who loves the outdoors, has a passion for history and gardening, and loves sharing the interconnected architecture and landscape of the garden. Jill enjoys weaving the stories of the past with the present while exploring the seasonal beauty of nature.

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There are no tours available at this time.
John & Lilla Leach 1913

The Romantic Tour: Lilla & John's Story

October 3, 10, & 24 from 1 - 2 PM

Are you curious about how Lilla and John met, their adventures together, and the home and garden they created? Learn about their romance, their botanizing trips, and the meanings of flowers. You will visit the “whispering bench”, the Contemplative Place, the Manor House and the Stone Cabin.

Martha Taylor

About your guide: Martha and her husband have been volunteering at Leach Botanical Garden since they moved to Oregon in 2005.  They are neighbors of the Garden and fell in love with its all-season beauty.  Martha has an undergraduate degree in history and loves romantic stories.  She has designed the Romantic Tour to help visitors connect with the story of Lilla and John Leach, and the work that Lilla did to become an acknowledged botanist during a time when the scientific talents of women were rarely recognized. Martha also introduces the "language of love" of flowers as it was understood when Lilla was born in 1886.Are you curious about how Lilla and John met, their adventures together, and the home and garden they created? Learn about their romance, their botanizing trips, and the meanings of flowers. You will visit the “whispering bench”, the Contemplative Place, the Manor House and the Stone Cabin.

sign up for a tour below >>
There are no tours available at this time.
Pollinator garden

Garden Highlights: Plants, Architecture, & Design

Are you fascinated by different architectural styles and the connections between landscaping and the built environment? This tour highlights the upper garden design and the unique architecture of the garden's built environment, visits the historic Manor House and Stone Cabin, and features noteworthy garden plants throughout the garden.

Cici Polson docent tour guide

About your Guide: CiCi Polson is a retired nurse-midwife and Master Gardener.  She has been a Leach Garden Friends board member since 2016 and has been leading tours in the garden since 2021.  She is an architectural and design enthusiast and a self-described plant nerd.

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Docent tours are concluded for the season. They will resume Spring 2025.

Tours are for ages 12 and up. Pre-registration is required. Garden members may use one of their member guest passes to bring a friend on the tour!
Please note:
Tours may be subject to cancellation without sufficient advance registrations.
Banner image: ty & Chey