Leach Botanical Garden to cut half its staff and most programs after Portland funding drops

Staff layoffs, reduced hours and scaled-back maintenance set to begin in late February

Leach Botanical Garden, a 17.35-acre public garden in outer Southeast Portland owned by Portland Parks & Recreation, is implementing steep staffing and program reductions after losing $350,000 in annual city support that had helped cover operating costs. The garden, located at 6704 SE 122nd Ave., has been open to the public since 1983 and is operated day-to-day by Leach Garden Friends, a nonprofit partner organization.

The nonprofit said the funding gap has forced immediate measures intended to keep the garden open through the end of the current fiscal year. The organization reported its available cash has tightened to the point that it must reduce payroll and limit services while it seeks additional revenue.

What will change: layoffs, hours, and programming

Beginning Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, Leach Garden Friends plans to cut its staff by 50%, eliminating 11 positions and reducing hours for remaining employees. Public programming is expected to be reduced by about 90%, and horticultural work will be limited largely to essential maintenance.

Operational hours are also set to shrink. Starting Thursday, Feb. 26, the garden is scheduled to open to the public Thursday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rather than its broader weekly schedule.

Why the shortfall emerged

For roughly two decades, the city provided operating funds to support the nonprofit’s work managing the garden’s ongoing expenses, which include utilities, insurance, facilities upkeep and other costs typical of maintaining a public site. The most recent agreement expired on June 30, 2025. Since then, a new agreement has not been finalized, leaving the nonprofit without the prior pass-through subsidy it expected to help sustain operations.

City parks staff have described the earlier arrangement as one intended to move the garden toward greater financial independence over time. Leach Garden Friends, however, has emphasized that the loss of the annual support created an immediate gap that could not be closed quickly through increased admissions, memberships and donations alone.

Financial targets and what remains scheduled

To keep the garden operating through June 30, Leach Garden Friends said it is seeking to raise $50,000 per month over the next five months. In parallel, the nonprofit is advocating for restoration of $450,000 in annual operating funding for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.

Despite service reductions, the organization said it plans to honor existing memberships and proceed with scheduled weddings and partner events. Work connected to the Back 5 Community Habitat Enhancement Project—focused on restoring five acres near Johnson Creek with partner organizations and youth programming—has been described as continuing, though broader public programming is expected to be significantly curtailed.

Key dates: Staff reductions take effect Feb. 22, 2026; revised public hours are scheduled to begin Feb. 26, 2026; the nonprofit’s current fundraising goal is aimed at sustaining operations through June 30, 2026.

• Garden size: 17.35 acres in outer Southeast Portland
• Ownership: Portland Parks & Recreation; operations managed by a nonprofit partner
• Planned reductions: 11 layoffs, major program cuts, reduced public hours