Thursday, 23 June 2016
Oregon Garden, Silverton
As you can see, the garden is enormous: an 80 acre, 15 year old garden created to showcase Oregon Horticulture. Because we began our tour at 4:20 PM, I wasn’t even sure we’d have time to see the entire garden. We began by taking a tram from the adjacent Oregon Garden Resort all round the garden. I am publishing the story of our walk in three parts together so that you can have the experience of seeing the garden all at once, if you like.
Waiting for the tram at the resort stop in torrential rain, looking at the garden far across the field
I took some photos from the tram as it gave us a half hour tour. It was a wise choice to ride around first, because it let the rain slow down and also helped orient us for our long walk. The tram driver gave an amusing and informative talk all through the drive, despite rainwater pouring onto his leg from a leak in the tram roof.
from the tram
from the tram
from the tram (Allan’s photo)
from the tram: children’s garden
from the tram: vineyard
We began our walk from the visitor’s centre (or we could have gone round on the tram as many times as we liked). Rain still fell. We were not about to let that slow us down. Join us on our two and a quarter hour walk and you will see that the rain turned to drizzle, then mist, then stopped. During our hours in the garden, we only saw six other people and those only in the last fifteen minutes.
visitor’s centre patio
Allan’s photo
Agastache ‘Cotton Candy’, one of my favourites
cannas
Eryngiums planted en masse. As I should.
Birdsfoot trefoil at entrance to Amazing Water Garden
Amazing Water Garden
sea serpent
water seeped down this wall
nearby: an eco roof
continuing on; signage was helpful with orientation
The Bosque. The trees will eventually grow together overhead.
Each tree has a space to fit in four pots of annuals.
The Conifer Garden. We had heard this was the best thing. And it was.
Conifer Reference Garden
Allan’s photo: ‘Tom Thumb Gold’ Oriental Spruce is supposed to always stay tiny like that.
looking out at the bosque
To be in this grove felt spiritually enlightening.
Allan’s photo
This was the moment when I decided to rip out my whole garden and replace it with conifers.
Picea pungens ‘The Blues’
Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Korean Gold’ (Allan’s photo)
‘Bush’s Lace’ Englemann Spruce (Allan’s photo)
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
Where to go next?
Looking back: This was the last I saw of Allan for an hour and a half.
a clever way to display picket fence pieces for backdrops
The tram driver had told us that 40 to 50 thousand annuals are planted each year. (Cleome, which I love and don’t have enough heat to grow well.)
The Lupine Fugue, looking back toward the resort
and to the open sky of the west
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
lupines under the lupine fugue (Allan’s photo)
Next, I’ll find a way down to see what is below. Because of our tram ride, I know that the rose garden is across the lawn.
Tangly Cottage Gardening 