The Garden and historic Manor House are located in a lush and peaceful hollow along Johnson Creek in Southeast Portland — 20 minutes from downtown Portland, Oregon. The garden has a rich history, beginning in the 1930s when John and Lilla Leach bought the property and continues today as an evolving public, botanical and cultural garden maintained by the nonprofit Leach Garden Friends. Mission Statement - Leach Botanical Garden offers immersive, restorative, and educational experiences in a unique landscape of native plants and horticultural collections for the purpose of building community, celebrating nature, and inspiring environmental stewardship. Situated along a free-flowing creek in outer SE Portland, the garden is an inviting, restorative urban greenspace. The Upper Garden features an entry plaza, aerial tree walk, four-season pollinator garden, and basalt stone sculptural installation. The hillside and lower garden feature native plants, historic Leach plant collections, meandering, wooded trails, and riparian area pathways along Johnson Creek. The “Sleepy Hollow '' estate that John and Lilla Leach lovingly created and tended for over 36 years was donated to Portland Parks in 1980. Thanks to the newly elected Parks Commissioner, Charles Jordan, the estate was retained by Parks, and a grass-roots, non-profit organization was quickly formed to work in partnership with Portland Parks to care for the garden and ensure its future. The original 4.7 acre property has grown to almost 17 acres with adjacent land purchased over the years by Portland Parks. Leach Garden Friends works closely with Parks to ensure that the unique property remains a well-cared for gem that both serves and is treasured by the larger community. Today more than 12 staff members along with a dedicated group of volunteers care for the property, offer events and tours, handle garden maintenance, work to replenish native plant habitat, engage underserved communities with hands-on learning, and provide visitor services to more than 30,000 people per year.
