The Oregon Garden, Silverton

Fantastic! A grand yet delightfully charming respite. I can tell so much love and care went into this place. A great variety of well-tended flowers of plants. Educational and play space. Weekend tram and cafe(s). Even a tucked-away lodge..? I wish Seattle had this beauty.

Okay... don't be in a hurry when you visit. The tram runs Friday, Sat, Sunday only. Now, for the good stuff: If you are someone who prefers huge impactful landscaping ideas, go while the annuals are still in bloom April-June. However, there are many unexpected and breathtaking features here, such as the 400 year old Oak tree, limbs long, strong and reaching out to you like a storybook Grandpa. The conifer garden, reflection pond and DOG GARDEN. Yes... well behaved, good humans can bring their dogs! Try not to let them disturb the chickens, though! Don't make the mistake of comparing this to any other show gardens...just enjoy. If you can go mid-week, and earlier in the day, even better. Oh...I overheard several good reviews about the lodge and it's restaurant, too. (Bathrooms are easy to find and we'll kept.)