Oregon Garden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oregon Garden is an 80 acre (320,000 m²) botanical garden and tourist attraction located at 879 West Main Street, Silverton, Oregon, in the United States. The garden is open every day except major holidays, and hosts many community events and concerts. An admission fee of not more than $10 is charged.
A public showcase garden had been conceived since at least the 1940s. The first major decisions began around 1990, with land dedicated in 1995. The groundbreaking ceremony occurred 1997 June 27. The garden opened to the public with the first dedication on 1999 April 17.
Gordon House, the only house Frank Lloyd Wright designed in Oregon, is now on the grounds of Oregon Garden. Gordon House, designed in 1957, is one of Wright's Usonian houses, and the only Wright house open to the public in the Pacific Northwest.
As of 2005, the Oregon Garden includes more than 20 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 site also includes a Native Oak Grove and wetlands.
The Oregon Garden struggles to survive financially, and has since inception. Proceeds from admissions have been below management expectations. Funds from the Oregon Lottery and Marion County have helped keep it functioning. The early years saw a relatively ambitious series of expansions. Since 2003 the addition of new features has slowed substantially.
