Oregon Garden
| Oregon Garden | |
|---|---|
 Oregon Garden | |
 | |
| Type | Non-profit, public |
| Location | 879 West Main Street Silverton, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°59′43″N 122°47′33″W / 44.995187°N 122.792454°W |
| Area | 120 acres (49 ha) |
| Created | April 17, 1999 |
| Operated by | Oregon Garden Foundation |
| Visitors | 45,000 |
| Status | Open |
| Website | Template:Www.oregongarden.org |
The Oregon Garden is a 120-acre (49 ha) botanical garden and tourist attraction in Silverton, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1999, it is home to over 20 themed gardens including the Rose Garden, Children's Garden and Silverton Market Garden. The Garden features a seasonal narrated tram tour, is pet-friendly and hosts public and private events including weddings, educational workshops and an annual fireworks show. It is located adjacent to the Gordon House, Oregon's only Frank Lloyd Wright home, and The Oregon Garden Resort.[1]
History[edit]
The Oregon Association of Nurseries (formerly the Oregon Nurserymen's Association) first conceived of the idea of a public showcase garden in the late 1940s. Work towards the creation of such a garden began in earnest around 1990, when the OAN began seeking a location for their project. Originally slated to be built in Woodburn, Oregon, a serendipitous turn of events led the OAN to select the Garden's current home in Silverton, Oregon. At the time, the City of Silverton was facing steep fines from the Environmental Protection Agency for discharging reclaimed wastewater of insufficient quality into nearby Silver Creek.[2] A water management agreement was drawn up which would result in Silverton's wastewater being filtered through a series of terraced ponds, during which time it would be cooled and filtered sufficiently to meet EPA standards prior to discharge. In exchange, the Garden would be allowed to use this same wastewater to irrigate their grounds. The City of Silverton purchased land, formerly home to an Arabian horse farm, south of downtown and dedicated it to the future garden in 1995.[3]
In April of 1996, a master plan was created for the garden which included ultimately developing all 240 acres (0.97 km2) of the site.[4][5] A groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 27, 1997, with a number of high-ranking Oregon politicians in attendance.[a] The garden opened to the public during a dedication on April 17, 1999. During it's first year, attendance at the Garden totaled approximately 250,000 visitors.[4] However, an ambitious series of expansions combined with lower than expected attendance quickly depleted the project's funds. By 2005, annual attendance had declined to just 40,000. At this time, the Garden nearly closed due to its inability to meet its financial obligations.[6] However, also in 2005, Marion County issued $5 million in bonds to support the attraction.[4] Despite this support, the Oregon Garden Foundation soon placed the garden in receivership, facing a delinquent debt of $8 million.[4]
To ensure financial solvency, a deal was struck with Moonstone Garden Management, Inc in 2006, in which the California-based company would take over operations of the Garden, with the Oregon Garden Foundation retaining ownership.[7] Moonstone purchased 11.1 acres (4.5 ha) from the City of Silverton[8] to build a 103-room resort hotel on undeveloped land adjacent to the Garden.[9] The deal, which was set to last as long as 75 years, outlined terms by which Moonstone would progressively repay the $5 million bond to the County using revenue earned from both the Garden and newly built Oregon Garden Resort, which opened on September 1, 2008.[10]
Plans to develop adjacent land to expand the Oregon Garden appear to be abandoned with a proposal to develop the 80-acre (32 ha) property southwest of the site into an urban park called Pettit Natural Area Demonstration Urban Natural Area.[11]
Features[edit]
As of 2005, the Oregon Garden includes more than twenty specialty gardens and features such as the Bosque, Children's Garden, Conifer Garden (one of the largest collections of dwarf and miniature conifers in the United States), Honor Garden, Hughes Water Garden, Jackson & Perkins Rose Garden, Lewis & Clark Garden, Northwest Garden, Pet Friendly Garden, and Sensory Garden. The water garden is a maze-like area with numerous paths and bridges.[12] A 25-acre (100,000 m2) native Oregon white oak grove includes the 400-year-old, 100-foot (30 m) Signature Oak, which is one of Oregon's Heritage Trees.[13][14] The garden holds an annual festival each autumn.[15] Also on the grounds is the Teufel Amphitheater which hosts concerts and other events; Sam Bush played in the Amphitheater in 2006.[16]
Gordon House, the only house Frank Lloyd Wright designed in Oregon, is now on the grounds of Oregon Garden. The house, designed in 1957, is one of Wright's Usonian houses, and the only Wright house open to the public in the Pacific Northwest. Completed in 1964, the home was moved from Wilsonville, Oregon, to the garden in 2001.[17]
On each Earth Day since 1999, the Garden hosts a celebration which attracts environmental supporters and organizations with demonstrations, exhibitions, and workshops. Garden admission is free for this event.[18]
Using treated wastewater from the city, the garden is one of only a few installations in the United States that reuses wastewater for a water feature.[19] Even in the summer months, the garden does not draw on drinking water supplies, instead relying entirely on wastewater treatment plant effluent, which additionally irrigates 240 acres (0.97 km2) of farmland. Until recently, such use was prohibited by state law, but the law was revised partly due to this water reclamation project. The garden also provides wetland mitigation for a nearby industrial park to provide waterfowl and amphibian habitat, and offloads Silver Creek from water it would not naturally carry during low-flow months in the summer to address an Oregon Department of Environmental Quality requirement. The wastewater receives final treatment on about 16 acres (65,000 m2) of the Oregon Garden where a series of 25 ponds perform three final filtering functions. The end result is extremely high quality treated water.[2]
Gallery[edit]
-
Deep in the Northwest Garden -
Winter in the Conifer Garden -
Heather in winter -
Proud, unhidden, water controllers -
Healthy winter mosses -
The Oregon Garden Resort under construction -
Rectangular ponds contrast numerous water features -
A maze of paths in ponds near the visitor center -
Garden water fountain
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ The dedication speech was given by former U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield. The first soil was turned by U.S. Representative Darlene Hooley.
References[edit]
- ^ "Home Page - The Oregon Garden". The Oregon Garden. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ a b Willey, Bruce (Summer 2003). "Innovative Wastewater Management Creates Wetlands and Irrigation Supply for the Oregon Garden" (PDF). Waterscapes. 14 (2). HDR Incorporated. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2010. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
- ^ "The Oregon Garden time line". Statesman Journal. November 16, 2003. Archived from the original on January 29, 2004. Retrieved December 20, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Pokorny, Kym (July 6, 2006). "Green Ways: Hope grows". Homes and Gardens. The Oregonian. p. 8.
- ^ Rose, Michael (November 16, 2003). "The Oregon Garden has a withering outlook—As attendance tumbles, the garden is rethinking its business plan". Statesman Journal. Archived from the original on January 3, 2004. Retrieved December 20, 2007.
- ^ Rose, Michael (September 3, 2005). "Stopgap measure to keep garden open". Statesman Journal.
- ^ Traver, Sheldon (September 5, 2007). "Profitability plan unfurls in Oregon Garden deal". Statesman Journal.
- ^ City of Silverton (September 8, 2008). "Parks and Recreation Master Plan" (PDF). p. 26. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- ^ Rose, Michael (March 28, 2006). "Oregon Garden has deal for new owner". Statesman Journal.
- ^ "Backers say future looks better for Oregon Garden". Ashland Daily Tidings. Associated Press. September 5, 2007. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- ^ "Parks and Recreation Master Plan" (2008), p. 80.
- ^ "A garden jewel in the Northwest". Home & Garden. Grand Rapids Press. October 22, 2006. p. L4.
- ^ "Specialty Gardens: Signature Oak Tree and Oak Grove". Oregon Garden. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved December 17, 2007.
- ^ "Heritage Tree and Historical Marker brochure" (PDF). Oregon Travel Information Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 21, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2007.
- ^ Zone, Rob (September 27, 2007). "Oregon Garden fest welcomes a new season". Travel Notes. The Seattle Times. p. G26.
- ^ Yeager, Angela (July 20, 2006). "Legendary Sam Bush plays garden". Statesman Journal.
- ^ Kuehnel, Danielle (June 25, 2006). "Vintage cars park at Gordon House". Statesman Journal.
- ^ ahartley (February 15, 2006). "7th Annual Earth Day Celebration at The Oregon Garden" (PDF). Oregon Garden. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2006. Retrieved December 20, 2007.
- ^ Ellaby, Liz (January 27, 2007). "Aldridge Gardens wants $6 million to spruce up Unusual 300-foot waterfall in the plan". Birmingham News.
External links[edit]
