Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden has turned its courtyards into a sea of gold and rust this fall, with 81 chrysanthemum varieties on display as part of its annual Chrysanthemum Festival and floral design showcase. The blooms arrive just as the city’s darker, shorter days settle in, giving downtown Portland a burst of color when most other gardens have gone quiet for winter.
The festival’s 81 mum varieties appear alongside floral installations built around “Golden Blooms upon Autumn Waters,” according to OPB. The theme refers to the lake at the garden’s center; designers interpreted it in works ranging from sculptural pieces to personal tributes.
A Festival Rooted in Centuries of Chinese Tradition
The festival draws on the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and the chrysanthemum’s traditional associations with nobility and longevity, OPB reports. The flower has been cultivated in China since at least 700 B.C., and classical Chinese poetry refers to it as jinying, or “golden blossom.” OPB notes that mums typically reach peak bloom in Oregon in November, when Lan Su holds its showcase.
Lan Su horticulture curator Josie Losh told OPB that she has studied huayi, a traditional Chinese floral art form and a predecessor to Japanese ikebana. Losh said the garden is introducing the practice to its audience as interest in it grows. She spent nine months preparing for this year’s festival, according to OPB.
Designers Had Just Three Hours to Build
According to the outlet, floral designers were given three hours to complete their installations before a panel of judges walked the garden to evaluate each piece for technique and how well it captured the autumn-waters theme. Among the entries was a yellow-mum-and-grass waterfall titled “The Odes,” created by designer Emily Thompson and inspired by a collection of Chinese poetry dating from 1100 to 700 B.C. Thompson said her piece pays tribute to her mother, who is from Hong Kong, and to her own experience as a second-generation American, per OPB’s report.
Annie Chen, an instructor at the American Institute of Floral Designers and the Floral Design Institute, served as a judge, OPB reported. The outlet says a design titled Dragon took first place in the showcase.
Different Numbers on the Awards Circuit
Published accounts describe different award results. OPB reports that 19 local floral designers and one featured designer took part, and that Dragon won first place. Florists’ Review, meanwhile, lists results from a Jury’s Choice competition: Amanda Bayha of Soul Seeds in first place, followed by Kirstin Garber and Jayme Rabenberg of Bloommonger; Thang Ngo received the Designers’ Choice award. The publication says the showcase was presented in partnership with the Pacific Northwest Florist Association.
A Short Window to See It in Person
Lan Su’s 2023 festival was its first floral showcase since 2019, following a pandemic-era hiatus, and coincided with the 35th anniversary of Portland’s sister-city relationship with Suzhou, OPB reported. That year’s event included 12 floral designs and the garden’s first evening viewings of the judged displays. This year, roughly 20 chrysanthemum-centered designs are spread across the grounds.
A Garden Built Through Portland-Suzhou Collaboration
The garden’s setting reflects a Portland-Suzhou partnership: the City of Portland describes Lan Su as the result of collaboration between Portland and Suzhou, its sister city in China’s Jiangsu province.
Lan Su in Old Town Chinatown
Portland’s design guidelines say the New Chinatown/Japantown Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 in recognition of its multiethnic heritage, architecture and association with the city’s early growth. A 2013 city planning summary listed the draw of Lan Su Chinese Garden among Old Town/Chinatown’s opportunities. These records establish neighborhood context, but do not detail how the area has changed or specify the garden’s role in preserving its heritage, according to the City of Portland’s design guidelines and 2013 planning summary.
