Leach Botanical Garden

Meet our New Horticulture Intern! My name is Rowan, and I’m a horticulture student at Clackamas Community College with a love of art and conservation. Having previously worked for the CCC horticulture department and in the Chuck Clemmons Memorial Garden as a student worker, I’ve developed a passion for gardens, especially native ones! I’m so excited to work with the wonderful people at Leach and contribute to a beautiful garden that educates and inspires others. I like to spend my free time practicing photography - you might find me outside pointing my camera at an interesting bug or flower!

This year’s internship is funded with support from the Columbian Garden Club, the Gary Simone Scholarship Fund and a foundation grant. Thank you for your support!

Leach Botanical Garden to raise admission prices while donations, city funding keep it afloat The Southeast Portland garden said it still needs to raise millions to maintain operations.

Funding update from the Garden: On Feb. 5, Leach Botanical Garden announced an urgent funding crisis that would affect the ability of Leach Garden Friends to keep the garden open past March 2026. Thanks to a strong community response, the nonprofit raised over $700,000 to secure the future of the Garden through its next fiscal year.

This additional fundraising, combined with cuts to staff and reduced visitor hours have put Leach Botanical Garden on a stable path for the next 14 months.

A special one-time $200,000 allocation from the City, championed by Mayor Wilson, the District 1 Councilors, and Portland Parks and Recreation administration, will provide needed gap funding for the next fiscal year as Garden staff builds out its stabilization and fundraising plan.

Increased admission
Because future reductions or eliminations of City and other government funding are anticipated, as a first step in its stabilization plan, Leach Botanical Garden will raise admission and membership fees to ensure needed funds are available to keep the garden operating into the future. On July 1, admission for adults will increase to $12.

Admission for youth will remain at $5 and is free for kids under five. These fees help to cover the costs of the horticulture team and managing and maintaining the garden. This change is expected to raise an additional $60,000- $80,000 for the garden.

Update continues in comments or learn more on our website. Full news release can be found on our Blog.

Why do you support Leach Botanical Garden? Take our survey and let us know. We value community feedback and invite anyone who has donated or purchased a membership to the Garden to complete this brief survey before June 30. Your feedback will be used to help us plan for the future. Thank you! Link in the comments below.

Join us outside for free multilingual storytimes with Multnomah County Library for kids! Fun books, songs, rhymes and more starting this week at Leach Botanical Garden. Simply check in at the Visitor Services booth for directions to the storytime meadow on the day of the event. Thank you to Multnomah County Library! Supported by gifts from The Library Foundation

$25,000 Matching Challenge starts now! With your help, we are hiring a part-time Gardener in July. Our horticulture team was downsized from four to two staff members this spring, and incredible volunteers stepped up to keep the Garden beautiful. Now, as summer maintenance increases, we need more staff gardening support. That's where you come in.
Generous donors have pledged $25,000 to match every gift raised this month—and we're already underway with $4,729 raised! Every dollar you give is doubled.
A part-time Gardener means a more sustainable team and a future for the 2,000 plants that make Leach Botanical Garden what it is.
Donate today for match! Link on our website or comments. Thank you for your continued support! 💚

Great gardens don't happen by accident. Join us for "An Evening with Richie Steffen: Blending Native & Exotic Plants in an Ornamental Landscape" on Saturday, June 20 at Leach Botanical Garden. Steffen shares four decades of insight on blending native and exotic plants into landscapes built to endure.

Steffen, Executive Director of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden, will share his insights on sustainable gardening that honors our Western flora while welcoming global diversity — drawing on historical examples and current horticulture to show what resilient, expressive gardens can look like here in the Pacific Northwest.

The evening includes a lecture, garden tour, and reception with wine, non-alcoholic beverages and refreshments.

Saturday, June 20 | 5 to 7:30 p.m. | Upper Garden
Tickets available day-of. Link on our homepage to register.
All proceeds benefit Leach Botanical Garden. Thank you to Bartlett Tree Experts for supporting this event.

Ready for summer evenings? We are! Join us for Sip & Picnic on Sunday, July 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Leach Botanical Garden. Pack your favorite picnic spread, play lawn games, explore the Garden. Beverages and ice cream bars available for purchase. Tickets range from $5 to $15, kids ages 5 and under are free. Learn more on our website or link in bio. Unfortunately, our favorites mini donkeys will not be making an appearance this year.

Summer is just around the corner at Leach Botanical Garden! Our 2026 summer events lineup is here--from Printmaking and Sip & Picnic to benefit events to Honeybee Hikes. Save the date on July 26th for a special benefit concert with live music and DJ sets curated by . Tickets and details for this event coming soon! Learn more about all happenings under the Events section of our website.