Display Gardens in Oregon

10 years ago

I am planning a trip to Oregon in late March and was wondering if those of you familiar with the area could suggest some gardens/nurseries to visit. I will be using the Oregon Garden in Silverton as a base and plan to visit Conifer Kingdom and Iseli, but beyond that I am unsure of where to go. I am hoping to be able to take a lot of pictures, so I was interested in display gardens and places with interesting/unusual or mature specimen's and like most of us here am always on the prowl for cool trees, and enjoy talking to others that share the same interest. I would really appreciate any feedback anyone out there has.

Thanks!

Jim

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Comments (5)

Sara Malone Zone 9b
10 years ago
The OG is a great spot, and when you stay there, you have access to the Garden when it is closed to the public, making photography much easier. The Portland Japanese Garden was voted #1 of public gardens in the west in 2013. The Hoyt Arboretum, also in Portland, is an American Conifer Society Reference Garden. If you're not already an ACS member, join (it's only $38) and you can then contact locals who might invite you to view their private collections, many of which rival the public spaces! Also, there is an ACS member who can give you a private tour of the OG's conifer collection, which is superb.
Have fun!
Sara

Here is a link that might be useful: American Conifer Society
nwconifergarden
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the great suggestions Sara! I will try and spend a day in Portland as well so I can see Hoyt and the PJG.

My wife and I are both ACS members, and have been meaning to visit some of these gardens and nurseries for years and are finally finding a little 'we' time to get it done.
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Hoyt Arboretum has some fine conifers. If you are limited in what you can do go there. Oregon garden has a very small conifer garden with some collector varieties planted close together. When a couple of us were there some years ago it was the highlight of the facility, the rest being mostly like some sort of giant motel planting. By now crowding issues might be developing in the conifer garden. Otherwise you might find it quite exciting - but not sure about dragging a disinterested family all the way out there, and paying the admission fees just to see this one planting.
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What! Just googled it, sounds great, huge place with lots to see and guided tours. Its in silverton, I’ll have to plan a visit.
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Embothrium
10 years ago
>The Portland Japanese Garden was voted #1 of public gardens in the west in 2013So somebody thinks there's more going on there than Van Dusen, UBCBG, Seattle Botanical Gardens, San Francisco Botanical Garden, UC Berkeley, UC Davis...?

Not to mention the other public Chinese/Japanese gardens on the west coast.

In Portland you should go to the Hoyt Arboretum, the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, and Cistus Nursery - unless conifers are all there is for you.

Except for the over-planted little conifer collection and the interest of the individual specimens it contains - until they all grow into one another - the Oregon Garden mostly looks like a big mall or motel landscape - and has pretty much no labeling, unless this has been corrected (when we asked at the information desk we were told nobody was keeping track of what things were, and given some whack reason for this approach having been taken).

So much for the promise of a great new botanical garden for the west coast, where a comprehensive showcase of local nursery products was to be created.

This post was edited by bboy on Mon, Mar 3, 14 at 21:28
Sara Malone Zone 9b
10 years ago
Oh pleaseÃ¢ÂÂ¦do you have to just pour cold water on everything? This is the kind of comment that has had me pretty much desert this forum for others where posters use their own names and nobody snipes. Jim, if you want to send me an email I'll give you some introductions to other folks who can open more doors for you, but I think that you'll find that almost every garden has something to offer.

Sara
Embothrium
10 years ago
Anyone who hasn't been to the Oregon Garden may be shocked by how hokey it is.

Except for the conifer garden, which is more appealing than the rest of it.

The most conifer excitement would probably be gotten from getting into private collections, as suggested. As well as those of wholesale conifer producers with display gardens, such as Iseli and Buchholz. Some of the Iseli garden specimens have been around awhile, with dramatic results.

Buchholz has been calling their plantings Flora Wonder Arboretum - I haven't been there but pictures I've seen show a lot of conifers etc. spread over an area of some size.