Wender·Vista
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileOregon
in southeast Portland, between Reed College and Eastmoreland

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

— — the week the garden turns pink and the ducks don't notice.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Nine and a half acres around a spring-fed lake in southeast Portland. More than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas, and companion plants, set among waterfowl and old conifers. Peak bloom runs from late April into May, when the garden charges a small entry fee on Thursdays through Mondays. The rest of the year it is free and quiet. Most visitors loop the lake once and then loop it again. from the studio

from the studio
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
— bring it home

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden covers about 9.5 acres in southeast Portland, wrapped around a spring-fed lake that is part of the headwaters of Crystal Springs Creek. The garden was established in 1950 by the Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society as a test garden, on land leased from Reed College and the City of Portland. It now holds more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias, and companion plants, and is owned and maintained by Portland Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the chapter. The neighbouring Eastmoreland Golf Course wraps the eastern edge.

— the season

Peak bloom runs from late April into mid-May, with the early hybrids opening in March and the late ones still holding into June. The garden is at its most photographed on the first warm weekend after Mother's Day. Autumn brings colour from the Japanese maples and the swamp cypress on the island. Resident and visiting waterfowl, including wood ducks and mallards, stay on the lake through the year. The garden is mostly level on paved paths, with a short bridge to the central island.

— the visit

The garden is open daily from dawn to dusk. From the first Thursday in March through Labor Day, a $5 entry fee is charged Thursday through Monday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Tuesdays and Wednesdays are free. Children under 12 are always free. Outside the paid season, admission is free. The main entrance is on SE 28th Avenue just north of Woodstock Boulevard, with a small parking lot that fills early on bloom-peak weekends; street parking is available in the Eastmoreland neighbourhood.

— where
United States · Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon
— within
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
— position
45.4823° N · 122.6357° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km N
Reed College
college campus
at the lake
Eastmoreland Golf Course
public golf course
1 km W
Westmoreland Park
city park
at the lake
Crystal Springs Creek
spring-fed creek
N
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
Reed College
Eastmoreland Golf Course
Westmoreland Park
Crystal Springs Creek
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Peak bloom runs from late April into mid-May, with early hybrids opening in March and late varieties holding into June. The first warm weekend after Mother's Day usually draws the largest crowds of the year.

Yes, from the first Thursday in March through Labor Day, $5 is charged Thursday through Monday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are free, and children under 12 are always free.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden covers about 9.5 acres around a spring-fed lake. It holds more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias, and companion plants and is maintained by Portland Parks and Recreation.

The garden was established in 1950 by the Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society as a test garden, on land leased from Reed College and the City of Portland. It remains a collaboration between the city and the chapter.

Most of the garden is on paved or compacted paths and is largely level, with a short bridge to the central island. The main entrance on SE 28th Avenue has accessible parking near the gate.

The garden is in the Eastmoreland neighbourhood of southeast Portland, between Reed College to the north and the Eastmoreland Golf Course to the east. The main entrance is on SE 28th Avenue, just north of Woodstock Boulevard.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for many customers who walked the garden as students or who bring children there each spring. The pinks and greens carry the bloom week without overstating it. A Small or Medium reads beautifully on a side wall.

The pink, magenta, and deep-green palette reads well in Japandi rooms, English-cottage interiors, and warm minimalist spaces with oak or walnut. It also holds against a deep navy or sage wall.

Yes. The current biophilic direction leans on real botanical references, layered greens, and natural light. The garden image carries that direction with a specific place behind it instead of generic foliage.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large fills the wall with one quiet image; a 4-tile Mural gives a larger statement, and a 9-tile Mural carries above a long console or a king bed.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any room with steam or splash. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, so it does not fade in humid rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth with water is enough. For a kitchen tile, a drop of mild dish soap on the cloth lifts cooking film. No abrasive pads, no bleach, no ammonia cleaners.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is created in our Knoxville studio under Reid Wender's eye. The artwork is not licensed from anywhere else and the tiles are hand-finished here.

— if this one stayed with you

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