OREGON GARDEN

On August 12, 2017, with my brother-in-law Rohit and his wife, Rita, my wife, Kundan, and I went to the Oregon Garden, in Silverton, Oregon.

Oregon Garden Entrance

Oregon Garden is spread over 80 acres. As the map below shows, it features several specialty gardens. 

Oregon Garden Map

Its specialty gardens showcase the diverse botanical wonders of Willamette Valley and the Pacific Northwest. 

They include Conifer Garden, Honor Garden, Hughes Water Garden, Jackson & Perkins Rose Garden, Lewis & Clark Garden, Northwest Garden and Sensory Garden, and a Pet-Friendly Garden.

 There were a large variety of flowers, when we visited the Garden. Some flower beds were lined along the pathways.

 

There were plants depicting topiary art and parts which could entertain children as well as adults. 

Topiary Art

Flowerpot Family

Besides, there is a Butterfly Garden, which is also human-friendly!

Butterfly Garden: (L) Rita & Rohit; (R) Pritam & Kundan

We also found deer roaming in the garden.

Deer at Oregon Garden

All the irrigation needs of the garden are met with the filtered wastewater of  Silverton. Thus Oregon Garden is only one of the few installations in the United States that reuses wastewater for its water feature.

The water garden of Oregon Garden is like a maze with numerous paths and bridges. For its environmental friendliness, it was recognized with an award by the American Society of Landcape Architects in 2002.

Water features at Oregon Garden

The garden also hosts weddings and other events.

Weddings at Oregon Garden

Oregon Garden has an amphitheater, which hosts concerts and other events. Sam Bush played in the amphitheater in 2006.

(L) Oregon Garden Amphitheater; (R) Sam Bush perfromed here in 2006

Also there are always special events, like quilt shows, and auto shows at the garden.

It took about two years to complete it before it opened, April 17, 1999. Other features, such as the Rediscovery Forest, Natural Resources Center and the Gordon House, were added later.

Set in a grove of oak trees, Gordon House now sits on the grounds of Oregon Garden. It is the only house designed by Frank L. Wright in Oregon.  Designed in 1957 and completed in 1964, it was moved here from Wilsonville, OR, in 2001. It was one of the several houses he had designed as middle-income family homes, which are single story, without a garage or much storage. Built with native materials, they usually have flat roofs; allow passive solar heating and natural cooling and lighting. 

Gordon House

The garden is open year-round. April through October, it offers a tram to provide a complimentary 30-minute tour of the Garden.

Tram

(L) Tram Driver; (R) Tram Conductor

Initially the Oregon Garden had financial difficulty until Moonstone Garden Management took over its operations in 2006. They purchased additional 11+ acres from the City of Silverton to build a 103-room Oregon Garden Resort. Built in 2008, and complete with a lounge and restaurant, it sits near the garden's water feature, on the top of the hill, overlooking the garden's Rediscovery forest,

Oregon Garden Resort

Oregon Garden has a gift shop. Also it offers memberships. Membership applications are available at the Information Desk.

Oregon Garden's Gift Shop

Membership Desk

After enjoying the garden for a few hours, we ended our visit with a picnic lunch.

Our Picnic Lunch