Call me kooky, but I sought out a botanical garden in winter when nothing was growing. Why? Because the weather was spring-like – and so what if the only thing missing were actual flowers?
But seriously, I do find that public gardens (not unlike popular European cities) are better in winter. No crowds, plus during the offseason, you can enjoy the quiet architectural quality of the place rather than the amped-out postcard version. Which is why when the temperature climbed into the high 50s last week, I hit the Oregon Garden in Silverton.
Due to the lack of blooms, the helpful chap at the front desk steered me toward the conifer garden, which looks impressive year-round. Actually, it is pretty darn magical. There’s a wide variety of evergreens ranging from small and cute to large and looming. Some of my favorite trees were the more imposing ones that looked like they were around when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Against the sun and blue sky, they were quite striking.
I was glad for my starkly beautiful late winter garden experience – since something tells me it will be a very different scene on a sunny Sunday in May.
Oregon Garden
879 W. Main St.
Silverton, OR, 97381
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