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Lambert Gardens

Portland, Oregon, USA, 1926–1968 (Publisher, Venue)

Andrew Lambert (1885–1974), a gardener from Georgia, moved to Portland in 1926 and immediately began creating a garden on the land he bought. Although he originally created a small showcase garden for his landscaping business, it soon expanded to cover 30 acres and became a garden he could share with the public: Lambert Gardens. The gardens soon garnered 50,000 to 75,000 visitors a year, attracting people from all over the country. A series of ten gardens, each representing a different theme and style, were populated by peacocks, flamingos, and cranes, and included roses that bloomed almost year-long. Lambert and his niece operated and maintained the gardens themselves. He was very active in the community, introducing free tours for Portland schoolchildren and donating flowers to various local events. By 1968, Lambert was in his 80s and could no longer maintain the gardens himself. When the city of Portland denied his offer to buy his garden and convert it to a city park, he was forced to sell it to developers, who quickly replaced it with apartment complexes.

Andrew Lambert (1885-1974)
Andrew Lambert (1885-1974)

Lambert Gardens Flyer
Lambert Gardens Flyer

 

References:

The Sunday Oregonian. 21 March 1965: page 30. http://johnrsweet.com/David/andrewlambert.html.

Click, Brian. "Living Was Fun: the lost Lambert Gardens," The Grail. 13 November 2014. http://www.reedthegrail.com/newsandfeatures/2014/11/16/living-was-fun-the-lost-lambert-gardens.