The Not-So-Secret Garden
Randal C. Hill
50plus Magazine
Growing up in Portland, Delen Kitchen loved going to the Oregon Garden with her parents. “It was those visits that inspired me to pursue a career in horticulture,” says Delen, who is now the Garden’s Director of Operations. “I wanted to share with others the joy I had experienced.” She later earned a college degree, but not in her beloved Beaver State. “I earned my BA in Urban Horticulture from Arizona State University, of all places,” she laughs.
After graduation, Delen returned to Oregon, was hired at the Garden and worked her way up, all the while appreciating the work of one-time general manager Ty Boland and his fellow workers. “He was a skilled and dedicated employee,” Delen says, “who, along with his horticulture team, was responsible for the monumental task of maintaining the Garden’s 80-plus acres.”
The Garden’s site in Silverton is a jewel of specialty collections spread over luxuriant, manicured acreage. Sculptures, gurgling fountains, serene ponds and reflecting pools complete the visual allure and bring to mind a botanical theme park.
Following are some of the most popular attractions among the more than 20 separate gardens on site.
The Conifer Collection was the first specialty area when the facility opened in 2000. Here you’ll find America’s largest collection of dwarf and miniature cone-bearing trees. Highlights of the Northwest Garden include plants and trees that thrive in this region. Those who appreciate wonderful aromas swoon over the Sensory Garden. History buffs flock to the Lewis and Clark Garden, displaying many of the native plants documented by those intrepid explorers. The Signature Oak in the Native Oak Grove stands 100 feet tall and has been alive since the early 1600s. The Amazing Water Garden features a manmade Loch Ness-type serpent among lush water lilies.
Visiting with the grandkids? The Children’s Garden boasts a tree fort, a hobbit house and a riot of colorful flowers. The Pet-Friendly Garden welcomes pups; while there, take note of the plants that are pet-safe and -friendly.
Walking the 1.5-mile grounds can take two or three hours, but shade and benches are plentiful, and a map guides the way. (No tram is currently available.) Attendees can picnic on the tranquil grounds, and a gift shop offers souvenirs.
The Gordon House is the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed residence in Oregon and the only one in the Pacific Northwest open to the public. Wright’s 1957 creation is a perfect example of his mid-century Usonian style — with open floor plan, carport, cantilevered roof and floor-to-ceiling windows. The house is shown in guided tours.
The Oregon Garden is now managed by the company operating the 103-room, pet- and family-friendly Oregon Garden Resort, an upscale hotel and restaurant conveniently located on the grounds.
“There are so many amazing reasons to visit the Garden,” says Delen, “We’re outside, which means right now we are safer to visit than a movie theater or a museum. Additionally, so many people took an interest in gardening while stuck at home this past year, and as a demonstration garden our entire mission is to show home gardeners the kinds of things they can achieve in their own landscape. The Garden provides a beautiful place to get some fresh air, a little exercise and some peace of mind.”
To learn more, call 503-874-4294.