Oregon Garden Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Oregon Garden
Oregon Garden
Type	Non-profit, public
Location	879 West Main Street Silverton, Oregon, United States
Area	80 acres (32 ha)
Created	April 17, 1999
Operated by	Moonstone Garden Management Incorporated.
Visitors	40,000 (2005)
Status	open

The Oregon Garden is a wonderful 80-acre (32 ha) botanical garden and a popular place to visit in Silverton, Oregon, United States. It first opened in 1999.

This amazing garden is home to over 20 different themed areas. These include a beautiful Rose Garden, a fun Children's Garden, and the Silverton Market Garden. The Oregon Garden is open every day of the year. It hosts many public events and private parties. The famous Gordon House is also located here. This is the only house in Oregon designed by the well-known architect Frank Lloyd Wright. You can also find The Oregon Garden Resort on the grounds.

Garden History
- How the Garden is Funded
Garden Features
Gallery
See also

Garden History

The "Northwest Garden" at the Oregon Garden

The idea for a large public garden in Oregon started way back in the 1940s. The Oregon Association of Nurseries wanted to create a special place to show off plants. Serious work on this project began around 1990. At the same time, the City of Silverton was looking for a way to use its treated wastewater.

These two needs came together perfectly. In 1995, Silverton bought land south of its downtown area. They decided to use this land for the future garden. Because of this, Silverton's wastewater is cleaned even more. It flows through special terraced wetlands in the garden. This water is then collected and used to water all the plants in the garden. This means the garden doesn't need to use fresh drinking water for irrigation.

In April 1996, a big plan was made for the garden. The goal was to eventually develop all 240 acres (0.97 km²) of the site. The official groundbreaking ceremony happened on June 27, 1997. Important politicians from Oregon were there. The garden officially opened to the public on April 17, 1999. In its first year, about 250,000 people visited the garden! Later, more parts of the garden were opened. The Gordon House was dedicated on March 2, 2002. The Rediscovery Forest and Natural Resources Center opened on June 7, 2002.

In 2002, the garden's water system won an award. The American Society of Landscape Architects recognized it for being very environmentally friendly.

How the Garden is Funded

The Oregon Garden had some money problems when it first started. It expanded quickly, and fewer people visited than expected. This used up the money fast. However, with help from partners, it has become a successful place to visit.

The Oregon Lottery, the City of Silverton, and Marion County all helped to keep the garden running. In 2005, the garden faced serious debt. To save it, a company called Moonstone Garden Management Incorporated stepped in. In 2006, Moonstone took over running the garden. The Oregon Garden Foundation still owns the land.

Moonstone also bought 11.1 acres (4.5 ha) of land next to the garden. They built a 103-room resort hotel there. This hotel opened on September 1, 2008. The deal with Moonstone helps repay the garden's past debts using money from both the garden and the resort.

Garden Features

A beautiful water fountain at the Oregon Garden

As of 2005, the Oregon Garden has more than twenty special gardens and attractions. Some of these include:

The Bosque
The Children's Garden, which is fun for young visitors
The Conifer Garden, which has one of the biggest collections of small conifer trees in the United States
The Honor Garden
The Hughes Water Garden
The Jackson & Perkins Rose Garden
The Lewis & Clark Garden
The Northwest Garden
The Pet Friendly Garden
The Sensory Garden, designed to engage all your senses

The water garden is like a maze with many paths and bridges. There's also a 25-acre (100,000 m²) native Oregon white oak grove. This grove includes the 400-year-old, 100-foot (30 m) Signature Oak. It's one of Oregon's Heritage Trees. The garden hosts a festival every autumn. The Teufel Amphitheater is also on the grounds. It holds concerts and other events.

The Gordon House is the only house Frank Lloyd Wright designed in Oregon. It is now located at the Oregon Garden. This house was designed in 1957. It is one of Wright's "Usonian" houses, which were designed to be affordable and functional. It's the only Wright house in the Pacific Northwest that is open to the public. The home was moved to the garden in 2001 from Wilsonville, Oregon.

Every Earth Day since 1999, the Garden celebrates with demonstrations, exhibitions, and workshops. Admission to the garden is free on Earth Day.

The garden is special because it reuses treated wastewater from the city. This is one of only a few places in the United States that does this. Even in the summer, the garden does not use drinking water. It relies completely on the city's treated wastewater. This water also helps irrigate 240 acres (0.97 km²) of farmland nearby. This water recycling helps the environment. It also provides a home for waterfowl and amphibians. The wastewater goes through a final cleaning process in 25 ponds at the Oregon Garden. This makes the water very clean.