Portland Memory Garden

Our second Spring Planting Party for 2026 is happening this Saturday May 16th from 9 AM to 12 PM.

Join us for this special drop-in volunteer gardening session and help fill the garden with flowers. We look forward to seeing you there.

Happy Mother’s Day from Friends of Portland Memory Garden! We hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating the mothers in your life.

Stop by Portland Memory Garden today to spend this joyous occasion outdoors with your loved ones. We hope to see you there! 🌸🌿

May’s Plant of the Month is Variegated Weigela (Weigela florida) 🌸🌸🌸

These deciduous shrubs grow to be 4-6 feet and feature trumpet shaped flowers with a delicate spring scent that attracts hummingbirds and other pollinators.

This gorgeous species thrives in full-sun to partial shade, with increased sun enhancing the color of its foliage. They are relatively easy to grow, and can survive in a variety of soil conditions. They require frequent watering while young, but becoming drought-tolerant once established.

Portland Memory Garden features the “Variegata” strain of Weigela florida, which blooms from late spring to early summer. Plan your trip to the garden today to see if you can identify this plant among our many flora.

Board Member Spotlight!

Tara Hicks is the Garden Coordinator and Portland Parks & Recreation liaison for Friends of Portland Memory Garden. On top of keeping up with all of the administrative tasks necessary to run a nonprofit and community garden, she works with and coordinates all of the volunteers and contractors that keep the garden grounds beautiful and healthy. She is also a registered horticultural therapist and runs our Summer Programs activities for Seniors each year. 

She joined the FPMG board in 2008 after learning about the garden as a Horticultural Therapy student. Her favorite plant is the garden Parrotia Persia because of its great fall colors, mottled bark, and the overall impressive structure of the tree.

When asked what the garden means to her, she responded with the following:

“PMG is such a wonderful resource for all. It changes with the seasons, and has also changed with age, as we all do. It’s quite a relatable space when you think of it as a living and breathing system of organisms, which include visitors! I don’t know of anyone who isn’t impacted by dementia, either directly or indirectly, and personally, I wish my family and friends who have dementia had such a resource close to them. It’s so meaningful to support my community in this way.”

Thank you Tara, for everything you do to make PMG such a beautiful and therapeutic space for the community.

Portland Memory Garden’s Spring Planting Parties are happening Saturday May 2nd and Saturday May 16 from 9 AM to 12 PM.

Each Spring, Friends of Portland Memory Garden hosts special volunteer gardening sessions focused on planting new flowers for the coming season.

Join us for a morning of gardening to help fill PMG with gorgeous flowers and other plants. Tools will be provided. Dress for the weather.

We look forward to seeing you there!

🌸🌷🪏🧑‍🌾🌱☀️

Friends of the Portland Memory Garden would like to wish you all a very happy Earth Day! 🌎🌍🌏

Earth Day began in 1970 as a demonstration to bring national attention to environmental issues. The event drew crowds of all ages and backgrounds, and its success led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. Today, Earth Day is a globally celebrated event.

Our therapeutic garden oasis is the perfect spot to enjoy the outdoors and celebrate this green and blue planet we all call home. Plan your visit today and come see all Portland Memory Garden has to offer.

Volunteer Opportunity: Bimonthly Gardening Session

The second drop-in gardening session of the month is this Saturday!

Drop by the garden on April 18th from 9:30 to 11:30 AM to help us keep the garden looking its best through the spring season!

Tools will be provided. Dress for the weather.

The Portland Memory Garden was built to cater to older adults, especially those living with memory loss, their families and their caretakers. Accessibility is an important element in all aspects of the garden’s design.

Portland Memory Garden offers the following accessibility features to make it a welcoming and safe environment for all visitors:

🌱 Wheelchair- and walking device-friendly design
🌱 Circular pathways and visible landmarks to ease navigation
🌱 Tinted concrete walkways to avoid sun glare
🌱 Raised garden beds for easy access to plants and flowers
 🌱 Benches, picnic tables, and seating in sun and shade
🌱 Fenced perimeter for security
🌱 Accessible restroom on site
🌱 Drinking fountain
🌱 Loading zone at park entrance

This healing garden is a quiet respite for people of all ages and abilities to experience nature. Admission is free for all.

Open from 8 AM to 9 PM every day.

Volunteer Opportunity:
Bi-monthly Drop In Gardening Session!

It’s the first week of the month, and once again time for Portland Memory Garden’s bi-monthly drop in gardening session!

Spring is in full swing and there is a ton to do in the garden to make everything look and feel its best.

Head over on Saturday, April 4th from 9:30 to 11:30 AM to lend a hand and enjoy the great outdoors in a peaceful and therapeutic environment.

Tools will be provided. Dress for the weather.

Can’t make it this Saturday? Our Drop in Gardening Sessions occur the first and third Saturday of every month. We would love to see you there.