[1][2][3] Andrew Lambert, a landscaper in Georgia, visited Portland in 1925 and liked the flora so much he decided to settle there permanently.

He gave his half of the family business to his brother and purchased land at 5120 SE 28th Avenue in the late 1920s.

[2] He also bought 25 unused and overgrown acres from the nearby Reed College to start his gardens and by 1930, it was a tourist attraction.

[4][5][6] After thieves stole hundreds of dollars from the wishing well on multiple occasions, Lambert decided to put up a 10 foot fence around the perimeter of the gardens.

[2] He sold plants, including tulips imported from Holland, out of the gardens' nursery and collaborated on a number of projects with Meier & Frank.