Earl Boyles Park

The Earl Boyles Nature Patch Created in 2024, this garden was generously supported by grants from the Portland Garden Club and the Portland Chapter of the Western Monarch Society .

The plant selection includes these awesome pollinator-pleasing native beauties: Arbutus menziesii, Acer circinatum, Anaphalis margaritacae, Aquilegia formosa, Aruncus dioicus, Asclepias speciosa, Blechnum spicant, Camassia quamash, Deschampsia cespitosa, Dicentra formosa, Erigeron glaucus, Eriophyllum lanatum, Gaillardia aristata, Gaultheria shallon, Helenium autumnale, Holodiscus discolor, Hydrophyllum tenuipes, Iris douglasii, Iris Pacific Coast Hybrid, Lonicera involucrata, Mahonia aquifolium, Mahonia nervosa, Mahonia repens, Maianthemum dilatatum, Maianthemum stellatum, Oemleria cerasiformis, Oxalis oregana, Physocarpus capitatus, Polystichum munitum, Rhamnus purshiana, Ribes sanguineum, Rubus parviflorus, Rubus parviflorus, Sambucus racemosa, Solidago canadensis, Spiraea betuifolia 'Tor', Spiraea douglasii, Symphoricarpos albus, Tellima grandiflora, Tolmiea menziesii, Trillium ovatum, Vaccinium ovatum, Vaccinium parvifolium, Vancouveria hexandra, & Xerophyllum tenax.

Learn more about Nature Patches in Portland Portland Parks & Recreation is adding nature patches to developed park landscapes to provide natural experiences for people and habitat for wildlife.

Nature patches are unique natural garden spaces that support native pollinators and offer fun opportunities for education and exploration.

Earl Boyles was a beloved janitor at the former Powellhurst Elementary School for 19 years in the 1930s and 40s. On rainy days he would allow cold, wet students to dry by the furnace. When a new elementary school was built in 1956, it was named after him. As of 2000, it remains the only school in Oregon named for a classified employee. When the land adjacent to the school was acquired for a park, there was no question that the park would be named after Earl Boyles as well.