the life of carter

For the last six months or so I’ve been volunteering at the Portland Japanese Garden a couple times a month. I’ve really enjoyed the still early mornings and the meditative garden work. Here’s a few pictures I’ve snapped during my time there.

The Natural Garden is my favorite area in the Japanese Gardens. These steps exiting the area had a lot of pretty azalias blooming throughout the spring months.

The Cultural Village is the entrance and central hub of the garden. Typically bustling during the day, it can be very serene in the early morning.

The pavillion gallery hosts many exhibitions through the year, along with an annual summer market. Here it lies unused between exhibitions.

The Moon Bridge makes for a great portrait photo spot, as it overlooks much of the garden's waters. I've spent countless hours pulling moss off the shrubs at its ends; it's tedious but meditative and rewarding work.

I also find trimming ferns to be very meditative. We trim off all the old growth in the spring to allow the fresh new fronds to breathe and shine.