ni gardens 1
DESCRIPTION
Take a tour of the gardens at the Nityananda Institute, Portland, ORTRANSCRIPT
Garden GratitudeAn homage to the talented and
dedicated people who take care of our gardens and grounds
Welcome . . . Please come on in
Garden shed
entrance
Start your tour here, at the gate by the parking lot . . .
Charming and intimate . . .
filled with tiny blue, purple and white flowers, fragrant jasmine and other climbers, and a big shade tree. . .
. . . created with infinite care by Molly Merideth
Portico garden
For others the first garden they see is here, facing the Hassalo Street gate
Pristine white flowers and a beautiful Indian statue greet you under the portico entrance.
Thanks to Lois Tallon for the perfect welcome.
Flower beds
Flower beds
Showcase of the property, the flower beds are stunning, ever changing, dramatic,
nothing short of fabulous
Thanks especially to Kathy Dahlkeand Sarah Mocasfor all this beauty
Under the
oaks
Under the oaks . . . bursting with daffodils in spring, ferns and hosta in summer . . .
Thank you, Karen Jones !
Rosegarden
The dozens of rose bushes require special care from spring to late fall
And always look and smell gorgeous, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lani Baker
Privet hedge
A big job, well done by
Dessa Bingley
(nice top line, Dessa!)
Infinity gardens
One of the most spectacular set of gardens, and a universal gathering point (“meet you at the Infinity statue”)
Awesome job, Leslie Goldstein!
Secret garden
Hidden behind the Jain statue . . . Ssshhhhhh!
An inviting “open secret”
space awaits you
. . . thanks to the nurturing touch of Laura Modena
Shade garden
Another beautiful and quiet spot to
sit or stroll, courtesy of
Doreen Flores
Shiva shrine
At the bottom of the east lawn, the Shiva shrine compels you to sit for a moment of reflection.
Monica O’Neal cleans and adorns the sculpture, and provides incense and light for your meditation.
Zen garden
Bamboo grove
Japanese inspired, uniquely designed and refined . . .
Thanks to the generosity and hard work of Kerry Smith
Ganeshshrine
Visit the Ganesh shrine below the Zen garden, sit
on the bench in the bamboos and just connect.
Wow!
Thank you, Constance Monte
Cutting garden
A mammoth group effort by Maggie Daly, Laura Modena, and Jessica Butler—among others
Raised box flower beds, a grape arbor, espaliered fruit trees . . . Stone paths, a sundial, chairs and benches . . . All this beauty, and the cutting garden also saves us money by providing flowers for arrangements in the house for up to six months of the year
Shrine area
Centerpiece of the ashram, where everyone contributes in some way—so
here’s our thanks to every resident and guest who helps
The combination of hardscape, landscape, sculptures and other elements is the result of years of dedicated work by many members.
Kitchen garden
Jessica Butler not only manages the kitchen, she grows herbs on the kitchen
patio for our meals
Thanks, Jessica!
Kelly’s corner
A lushly vibrant corner just outside the door to the shrine area, created by Kelly Ponzi
East wing garden
Another picture-perfect welcome, located in the circular drive by the delivery entrance
Thanks to Jan LaRue for adding her mastery and
vision to this spot.
South lawn
Shrine lawn
Sandy lot lawn
East lawn
And then there are the lawns . . . Acres of lawn . . . That need to be mown weekly . . .
South lawn
Shrine area
East lawn
Sandy lot
Thanks to the never-ending work of Ed Blaske, Richard Brown, and Len Riegler
More Unsung HeroesPruners
SweepersCleanup crews
Dump run haulersWeeders
Pruning, ah yes, the endless pruning. . .
Masa Mizuno, Master Japanese Gardener and trainer of our pruning team for the past twelve years.
(We also thank the generous donors who make his twice-yearly visits possible.)
Pruning team includes (l to r) Maggie Daly, Tricia Sweeney, Kathy Dahlke, Sarah Mocas, Masa, and Jan LaRue. (Not pictured, Karen Jones.)
Special thanks to Cindy and Arlin Brown (our own “American Gothic” icons)
Sweepers and RakersOut every Service Day (and many other days too) cleaning the hardscape and
making the place spiffy
Led by Len Riegler, with help from Jesse Sweeney, Chuck Madge, Richard Brown and others. Every year they haul more than 35 loads like this one to the dump, saving us $225 each time. That’s a whole lotta help, in more ways than one. Thanks, guys!
Jesse, Richard, and Len
Yard Debris Haulers
Weed whacker, lawn edger, fashion-forward all-around garden and yard helper Chuck Madge
So many volunteers…
Want to participate? Take on one of our “orphan”gardens (two of them pictured here). . . Or simply
offer your services for whatever is needed
Circular Drive “Hatha path”
And now for the REALLY BIG THANKS . .
Maggie Daly leads the garden team, while Len Riegler leads the groundsteam. Together they make sure it all happens.
Our deepest gratitude, Maggie and Len, for your outstanding leadership, enthusiasm, and expertise. You’re the best!
Special honoree
Denise Goldbergwho was largely responsible for creating the master plan for the gardens and who worked nearly full-time herself for more than ten years.
Our most profound thanks to Denise.
Many more people have contributed to the beauty of our gardens and grounds than we can possibly name.
We thank them all.
We thank you, too, for being open to the magic of this
special environment.
Thanks for taking the tour . . . come back any time!