Oregon Garden, July 2021
Even before the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oregon Garden nestled in the middle of the town of Silverton was not the kind of overly manicured botanical garden that takes itself too seriously. There has always been a good amount of elbow room for visitors (particularly important for ones with large cameras), and the plants are mostly left to do their own thing in their own space. Now in 2021, all of this has been magnified, with some areas overgrown or dead patches left as they are (some of which I chalk up to staffing/volunteering issues); and I for one am fine with this. I know any garden is by definition a little bit of “humanity bending nature to our will” but I like things to be on the more natural side. And when you visit the Oregon Garden, you can see a lot of local plants behaving similarly to how they would out in the wild. Bring a sketchbook or camera and enjoy a few relaxing hours amid all the beauty.
Nice person in Portland, Oregon, and beyond.
