Out and About

Watching the Oregon Garden Grow
Why Families Flock to the State’s Biggest ‘Plant Place’
By Anne Laufe

This kid has obviously been here before. Dressed in shorts, t-shirt, wide-brimmed hat and sunglassses, the boy, who looks to be about 3 years old, is carrying a sand bucket and shovel.

“Come on!” he shouts to his oh-so-slow parents. “Let’s go to the Dino Dig!”

If you haven’t been to the Oregon Garden before, you may not realize what a family-friendly place it is. Located in Silverton, a little over an hour south of Portland, the 80-acre garden is filled with attractions for visitors of all ages. Many of those amenities are tailor-made for children.

Many first-timers begin their trip with the 25-minute tram ride that departs from the Lorene Sails Higgins Building every half hour. This is a good way to get oriented and to learn more about the flora and fauna of the garden. If your kids are full of energy, however, just grab a map and start walking.

The Kid-O-Centric Attractions
The centrally-located Children’s Garden is the logical first stop for families. Kids will love the topiaries (statues carved from bushes) which greet them; they’ll have a hard time choosing their favorite among the elephant, giraffe, stars, flowers and kangaroo with joey popping out of its pocket. Art is everywhere in this garden, from the bear-shaped bench to the dragon weathervane on top of the outdoor classroom to the turtle stepping stones leading to the curly willow tree. A gate decorated with old tools, spigots, wheels and other cast-off items reflects the garden’s commitment to recycling and sustainability.

Your kids might be so taken with the art that they forget about the plants, so make sure you point out the unusual species growing here, including the monkey puzzle tree, unicorn grass and windmill palm. A living chair, made from jelly bean monkey flower (mimulus aurantiacus hybrid), is still too young to sit in, but will entice children to return to the garden next year, when the vines will be strong enough to support the weight of small bodies.

Youngsters go wild for the Dino Dig in this area, a sand pit with a replica of a dinosaur skeleton embedded in it that kids are invited to uncover. Shovels and buckets are provided, so mom and dad can sit down on one of the nearby benches and relax, while the little ones dig away. Restrooms and vending machines stocked with bottled water and juice are also located conveniently close by.

When the kids finally tire of digging for buried treasure, there are plenty of other areas they’ll enjoy. Older kids might want to visit the Lewis and Clark Garden, a living museum of the explorers’ botanical finds. The Dinosaur Garden features ancient plants that have survived since prehistoric times.

Other Family-Friendly Amenities
A stroll through the Silverton Market Garden in mid-summer reveals all manner of edible plants, grown to showcase Oregon’s agricultural bounty. Kids can operate the hand pump to fill watering cans and water the produce. If they’re lucky, they might get a chance to pick Oregon blueberries, kiwi or chives.

Families won’t want to miss the Pet-Friendly garden, featuring non-toxic plants that are safe for home gardens, as well as Max, a life-size bronze sculpture of a lovable yellow Lab.

The garden is also full of living animals as well. Patient kids are likely to see koi, dragonflies, bullfrogs, and even watersnakes in the A-mazing Water Garden. Birds all of kinds, from red-winged blackbirds to herons, hawks, killdeer and swallows, visit the garden in summer.

User-friendly amenities abound at the Oregon Garden. Most paths are paved, making it easy to push young children in strollers. The Garden Café offers sandwiches, soup, salad, snacks and coffee, or you can bring your own meal to eat in one of the two designated picnic areas. The gift shop is a great place to pick up a book or trinket for the garden-lover in your life. Dogs are allowed in the garden as long as they are well-behaved and kept on a leash.

Spending that time in one of the northwest’s most beautiful settings is icing on the cake.

Garden Basics
Located on what was once a horse ranch, the Oregon Garden opened in 2001 as a partnership between the Oregon Association of Nurseries and the City of Silverton. In addition to the more than 20 themed gardens, 17 acres of wetland provide a natural filtration system for recycling the city’s water.

The garden is now managed by Moonstone Hotel Properties, which has just broken ground on a 103-room resort on site. Scheduled to be completed at the end of summer 2008, each room will have a fireplace and private garden. The resort will also feature a main lodge, restaurant, spa and swimming pool, all in keeping with the garden theme.

While the garden itself isn’t expanding, look for changes within the existing displays. The sensory garden, for example, is being revamped to make it even more appealing to the visitor’s five senses. And, of course, seasonal changes are always highlights.

General manager April Purdy, who likes to bring her 1-year-old to the garden, says the average visit is about three hours. With so many natural and human-made wonders to discover, you may find yourself lingering a lot longer.

The Family-Friendly Fine Print

General Information:

The Oregon Garden is located just south of Silverton. From Portland, take I-5 south to the Brooks Exit (Exit 263) and follow the brown “Oregon Garden” signs.

Summer hours are 7 am to 6 pm Wednesday and Saturday and 10 am to 6 pm all other days of the week.

Admission in the summer (through September) is $10 for adults, $8 for students and free for children 7 and under. Family memberships start at $75, and allow unlimited entrance to the garden for one year, as well as other benefits.

Saturday 4 Kids:

Kids can become Nature Masters through the Oregon Garden’s Saturday 4 Kids program. Every Saturday in July and August, youngsters can take part in fun hands-on activities in the Children’s Garden. Each week has a different focus, with themes including flowers, trees, bugs and birds. Complete all four and earn the title of Nature Master! Participants dissect flowers, plant seeds, make nature crafts, examine bugs, go on plant scavenger hunts and more. Saturday 4 Kids takes place from 11 am to 3 pm and is free with garden admission.

Anne Laufe is a Portland freelance writer and mother.

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