Chinese traditions bloom at Portland’s Lan Su Garden’s Chrysanthemum Festival

Award-winning Canadian floral designer Donald Yim doesn’t just see chrysanthemums as a resilient flower he’s used throughout his three-decade career. They hold a special place in his heart due to his upbringing in Hong Kong.

“(Chrysanthemum) is a culture — we grow up with that flower, so we have a lot of memories with that flower. I remember my mom used to buy those flowers and then arrange them in my house,” Yim said while seated near his floral creation in one of the pavilions at Lan Su Chinese Garden in downtown Portland.

Yim’s floral centerpiece, titled “Chrysanthemum Elegance: Reflecting Autumn’s Moon in Floral Splendor,” which includes two lengthy black panels and crisscrossing branches embellished with chrysanthemums, is on display in the garden.

“Chrysanthemum Elegance” is joined by 11 other chrysanthemum arrangements crafted by Oregonian florists, as part of a two-week festival running through Nov. 19. The event celebrates the beauty of chrysanthemums and their significance in Chinese culture, according to the organizers.

Established in 2000, Lan Su Garden was born out of the sister city connection between Portland and Suzhou, a Chinese city located just west of Shanghai. This year marks the 35th anniversary of that relationship, which aims to foster cultural exchange between the United States and China, according to the sister city association.