this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2025
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Mildly Interesting

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This is for strictly mildly interesting material. If it's too interesting, it doesn't belong. If it's not interesting, it doesn't belong.

This is obviously an objective criteria, so the mods are always right. Or maybe mildly right? Ahh.. what do we know?

Just post some stuff and don't spam.

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[–] KittenBiscuits@lemmy.today 42 points 4 days ago

Lollll, I love the name!

For those not getting the joke, mill ends are the scrappy imperfect remnants at the end of manufacturing a batch of yarn, cloth, carpet, etc. One can usually buy them at a nice discount from the factory or a distributor.

[–] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 32 points 4 days ago

Its been, on an off, the smallest park in the world a handful of times. The current world’s smallest park was built in Japan shortly after its creator payed a visit to Portland.

[–] wjrii@lemmy.world 23 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Leslie Knope in shambles…

[–] Cenotaph@mander.xyz 7 points 3 days ago

At least it isn't in Indiana so she still holds the state title

[–] DearMoogle@lemmy.today 16 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

It’s so silly how something like that as a 4.5 star, 1000 reviews on Google xD

So the plaque says it was originally a utility pole hole turned into a park

[–] Albbi@lemmy.ca 14 points 4 days ago

"We may not be big, but we're small."

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

Mill Ends was started by an Irish immigrant who spent so long looking at an unfinished lamppost hole that he finally decided to do something about it.

Fun story about Mill Ends: At one point, the people in charge of the second smallest park, in England, petitioned to have Mill Ends stripped of its title due to the fact that it ‘didn’t have a fence’. The very next day a dollhouse fence appeared in the park.

Another fun story about Mill Ends: according to its creator, it has a colony of leprechauns living in it, the only colony outside of Ireland. He would periodically write about their adventures.

[–] maniacalmanicmania@aussie.zone 12 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Mill Ends Park, Google Maps:

Teensy, quirky plantings area on a median strip, billed as the world's smallest park.

Mill Ends Park, Wikipedia:

Mill Ends Park (sometimes mistakenly called Mill's End Park)[1] is the smallest urban park in the United States. It consists of 1 tree, located in the median strip of SW Naito Parkway next to Tom McCall Waterfront Park along the Willamette River near SW Taylor Street in the downtown core of Portland, Oregon, United States.

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Smallest, or saddest?

How much could it cost to fill that planter? $18?

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Really have the litter situation under control at least.

[–] wavebeam@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

lmao, sadly this is mostly probably because this photo was taken in like november or something, and the angle is decent. a single block down and it's not a pretty sight from both litter and the unhoused population portland (and the whole state, neé the whole country) refuse to stop abusing.

[–] SlartyBartFast@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 5 points 4 days ago

Step 1. Ball.

[–] Zahille7@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Are we sure it's not a sign for the area immediately behind this tiny tree?

[–] ickplant@lemmy.world 13 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] MNByChoice@midwest.social 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Interestingly, the tree looks different. I wonder if they intentionally keep the tree small and swap it periodically. (Hopefully sending the old tree to a nice farm upstate.)

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

They do! They also sometimes decorate the current tree for Christmas.

[–] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 4 days ago

The area behind it is Waterfront Park. That's the Willamette river on the other side of that grass.

[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz -5 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] wavebeam@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago