The Hardy Plant Society of Oregon

Open Gardens

Important Deadlines:

The deadline for registration for the 2008 book is now past.

The Hardy Plant Society invites its members each year to open their gardens to other members. It's fun to share!

The Open Gardens program offers Hardy Plant members the opportunity to visit and learn from the gardens of others. Each year, any member who wishes to volunteer may host one or more open gardens. The times and dates are listed in the Open Gardens book, published each March. All hosts are listed alphabetically, with all the pertinent information about their gardens. Open Gardens dates generally run weekends from April through October. During the June, July and August, gardens are also opened the 2nd Monday of each month. Hosts may hold their gardens open for as many or as few dates as they wish.

Winter Interest Gardens Added

A recent addition to the program is a Winter Interest listing of gardens open weekends in February and March. Elements of tree and shrub structure, bark, and berries come into their own in the winter. Hardscape, art, the early blooming shrubs, bulbs, and perennials lift our spirits and delight our senses during the short, gray days of winter and teach us to think of our gardens as year-round vibrant extensions of our homes.

The First HPSO Open Gardens

In 1987 Jan Waltemath and Leslie Strakes organized the first HPSO open gardens. They created the first HPSO Open Gardens booklet, listing seventeen members and six nurseries who had volunteered to open their gardens to members during various weekends in April and May. A separate flyer invited members to several gardens open in July, and also to a special Vancouver, Washington opening.

The Open Gardens Program Expands

As HPSO’s membership has grown, so has the Open Gardens program. Today our booklet includes about 100 listings of both private and public gardens and member nurseries. The listings span a season from April through October each year. In addition to the weekends, three very popular Monday evening openings have been added - one per month in June, July, and August — to take advantage of the cooler evenings and lovely light at that time of day.

Gardens Across the Pacific Northwest

Thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of our members, we have a wide-ranging group of gardens to enjoy. In 2006, the location of open gardens stretched from the Oregon Coast to Bend and from the south Willamette Valley to Puget Sound. These gardeners offer us an opportunity to exchange ideas and experience gardens in different environments. Members, be sure to arrange a visit if you’re in their area – they’d love to welcome you.

A Diversity of Gardens

Part of HPSO’s mission is to encourage and inspire new gardeners as well as old. Open gardens are an integral piece of this process. Some gardens are works-in-progress, some brand new, some mature, some quirky, but each a very personal statement. They may serve as a haven, an obsession, an experiment, a release from stress, or simply a joy. Our pleasure grows as we share our experiences with others, our successes as well as our problems. Gardeners love to visit, to ask questions – “What’s this plant?” “How big will it grow?” “Where could I find this plant?” No garden is perfect, but each one is a learning opportunity, and each one has something to offer.

Garden Descriptions

Gardens are ever changing, affected by time of year, time of day, the weather, our attempts to control and/or work with nature. We encourage our members to include in their descriptions whatever is unique or of particular interest, such as special structures, design, unusual plants, fragrance, or construction in process. Often, seeing projects under way is more educational than the finished product. Since mother nature can be fickle, and the unexpected can and often does occur, a sense of humor is the garden host’s very best friend.

Thank You to Garden Hosts, Past and Present

As we members visit gardens this year and offer appreciation to our hosts, let us remember also to say a silent thank you to those who opened their gardens that first year. Some of those members are still active and graciously continue to welcome us to their gardens. Some have moved out of the area, and some are no longer alive but are remembered by those who visited. Most of the nurseries are still serving our membership. Our grateful thanks go to those early pioneers who began and nurtured this program. May we continue to follow in their footsteps.