OREGON—A group of 25 mothers and their daughters from several congregations in the northwest participated in a special activity on May 17: a mother-daughter visit to Portland’s Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden during a sunny spring afternoon.

The event began with refreshments and a brief question-and-answer session where the group learned about the 2,500 species of “rhodies,” azaleas and other botanicals living throughout the garden.

“It was a beautiful Sabbath walk with family and friends,” Oregon teen Nerys Shaw said.

The nine-plus acres in southeast Portland, originally Crystal Springs Farms, contain paths, ponds, small waterfalls and a specimen of the garden’s namesake that dates back almost a century to 1917.

Deaconess Vickie Young said the experience was “a lovely garden to walk through, filled with flowers, waterfalls, crystal springs, geese and ducks, gentle breezes, benches to sit and meditate or fellowship.” Young was part of three generations of her family that took part in the stroll. “It was a perfect way to end a most inspiring Sabbath day,” she said. “I very much enjoyed this special event for all of us mothers and daughters. Truly millennial.”