Water Lily, Oregon Gardens, Silverton OR
It was another gloomy day here in Portland. So to cheer me up, I’m posting this colorful image from last week’s trip to the Oregon Garden. While we were there, we took the tram to get an overview (the place is pretty big) . That way, on our own we could walk around to the spots we wanted to explore. The tram driver told us the amazing story of how the garden came about.
The waste management needed to cool the water that was going into the nearby river (it was too warm for the fish and was disrupting the ecosystem. So they found this property for sale, bought it, then pumped water up so it would trickle down into pools, thereby filtering and cooling it. Then the nursery companies found out about it and said, hey, how about we use some of that water to showcase some plants that international buyers want to see? We’ll plant there! Then word got out and more companies joined in, like the landscaping associations, and other groups. Long story short, they wound up with a gorgeous garden and everyone wins. Including the wildlife! It was a concert of city government, commerce, and civic input, all working at the right time to create this beautiful place. And you can bring your dog!