Journalist By Nature: June 2016

Vista from The Oregon Garden

Tucked snuggly and unobtrusively into the foothills of the Cascade Range just south of Silverton, Oregon grows an 80 acre botanical garden, the creative and ultimate solution to a sewage problem. At its pre-opening in 1999 it was barely the three-dimensional reality of a paper map. Only the most basic bare bones structure of pathways and intended plant displays were evident as my children raced along the open walkways, visiting the Survival Oak, an ancient tree sacred to local Indians of centuries ago. The garden necessitated a vivid imagination to foresee its future structure. For the background story, see this link, here and here.

Today the garden is a young adult in plant years, not yet fully developed in scope but certainly well on its way. Mature trees and shrubbery sit in packed residence, surrounded by little paths that allow visitors to view the plants from all sides and stimulate takeaway ideas for their own properties or projects. Volunteers, pruners in hand, are knowledgeable to answer questions about the displays. The original bare 16-tiered sewage treatment experiment is now successfully camouflaged by lush filtering plants that turn waste water into a clean irrigation source.

the Rain Curtain

Water features such as the Rain Curtain, the Axis garden, the Bosque and the Rose Petal Fountain as well as strategically placed drinking fountains, pools and ponds provide that liquid sight and sound so necessary in a garden. Fish, fowl and thirsty foot traffic take advantage of these spots. The Silverton Market Garden highlights many of the Willamette Valley's commercial crops such as wine and table grapes, hops, berries of all sorts, hazelnuts, figs, fruit trees and row crops. A chicken coop in the center of the raised bed area lends a gentleman farmer touch to the scene.

View to the orchard

Although primarily a perennial garden with seasonal blooming, the colorful massed annual plantings add that blast of summer exuberance that only they can provide. Think patio pots on steroids. Statuary large and small, ironwork tables and chairs, Monet garden benches, boulders and arches fit discreetly into the landscape for decor and resting. Picnics and dogs are encouraged throughout the garden. A free tram runs frequently throughout this plant paradise hauling passengers through the exhibits while a driver/narrator dishes out interesting tidbits of history, humor and plant highlights. If you're there for the hike you can put several miles on your shoes by exploring every pathway!

Educational exhibits and events furnish opportunities for students of any age to learn more about forest management, 147 Oregon commercial crop varieties, cultivation techniques and conservation awareness. Scheduled entertainment such as nightly music gigs, holiday fireworks, a Christmas ice skating rink, the Brewfest and special days for seniors, kids and professionals pull in over 90,000 visitors a year, not an insignificant number but far behind that of other Oregon tourist destinations. This makes for uncrowded visits and a feeling of broad personal space. Nonetheless, the marketing side of the garden keeps a fully stocked event calendar busy 365 days a year. The J. Frank Schmidt Jr. Pavillion, a 20,000 square foot event facility, is available for rent.

Oriental poppy field along the route

Whether a professional landscape designer or a populist tourist, the Oregon Garden is a destination for plant lovers everywhere. It is Our Garden in that it showcases, in a compact area, so much of what contributes to the Pacific Northwest's verdant and enticing ambiance. Take a morning and a picnic, the kids, your dogs, out-of-town guests and relatives or a neighbor and tour the Oregon Garden. You won't be disappointed and you might just pick up a plant or two at the sale table. Take the back roads to Silverton for a pastoral junket through rolling hills and vast stretches of multi-cropped farmland. Many of the Garden's exhibits can be viewed in acreage settings this way. Happy exploring!

The Amazing Water Garden

The Bosque

400 year old Survival Oak

California poppies, just to be neighborly

Dragonfly, a garden delight

Chickens!

Kale, grapes and row crops with cold frame

Dahlias and peonies

Figs

Christmas trees in background

Koi pond and waterfall

Statuary

Grape arbor

Hops crawl up the columns

Allium, lilies and daisies

Monet garden bench

Parterre garden

Conifer garden

"Floating" islands of trees at the Bosque

Oriental poppy in papery glory

Flipping our collective hair at the weather report and turning our faces into the breeze we gathered at a member's home in the Gresham area for a hilly excursion into the nature area south of the city. The rolling terrain is largely undeveloped around the Butte Saddle area, site of a holly and filbert orchard of a couple of centuries ago, now in a forest recovery stage. Deteriorating paving initially directed our feet down a steep pathway that soon become a gravel-coated and then compacted leaf trail.

The open woodland scene is populated by a variety of deciduous trees now fully leafed out, providing spattered shade for the lush ground cover of ferns, mosses, spires of foxglove, dots of diverse yellow flora and the carpet of invasive, pervasive and noxious "Stinky Bob" (Geranium robertianum). Although grinning innocently with its tiny pink face and lacy foliage, "Stinky Bob" overgrows native plants and propagates rapaciously. It has reached the stage of English ivy in that it is impossible to eradicate now.

Carpet of "Stinky Bob"

With legs aburning and lungs gasping we labored up a steep grade devoid of switchbacks to reach the top of the butte and view of Gresham below. Turning on an adjoining trail we applied the hip and knee brakes to control our steep decent downhill to another turning point. Summiting another hill brought us to The Bus, an ancient food cart sort of vehicle, long past its glory days, abandoned in the woods and now sprouting tree branches and a colorful and multi-layered tagging finish. It was a photo op to be sure!

Two hours into this uphill and downhill rhythm, we voted to head for our cars and seek nourishment in one of the many little cafes in the city. Stowing sweaty backpacks, jackets and hats we made our way to Selma's to view an array of Syrian fare such as hummus, orzo salad, baba ghanush, tabbouleh, pita bread and enough other dishes to make choosing a pastime in itself. Then there was the

dessert display. Traditional baklava, ma'amoul (a date-filled molded sugar cookie), countless other sweets all made by Selma herself, a gracious and hardworking businesswoman aided by her husband and son.

Hidden hiking treasures await the curious adventurer throughout the Pacific Northwest area. Poke around and see what you can find by searching municipal websites and local activity newspapers. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover. Happy hiking!