Sunday, June 16, 2002
THE GREEN SCENE
Most of the nurseries mentioned are listed in "A Gaga Gardener's Guide to Nearby Nurseries" by Ellen Schlesinger ($12.95, Waccabuc Books). It's a compendium of nurseries in the Eugene area. If you can't find it, write to Schlesinger c/o P.O. Box 26009, Eugene, Ore. 97402.
FAVORITE GARDEN SPOTS
Heirloom Old Garden Roses, St. Paul. Rambling through the test gardens is one of the great pleasures of visiting this center for more than 1,500 varieties of rose. Some visitors especially enjoy the Riverside Garden, with its many old varieties with roots in Europe that have often been eclipsed in popularity by the modern hybrid roses. Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends. Address: 24062 Riverside Drive N.E.; phone: (503) 538-1576; Web site: www.heirloomroses.com.
Nichols Garden Nursery, Albany. A small shop smack up against the freeway. But once inside and out the back door, you're transported to a wonderful green world made up of examples from Nichols' mail-order business, which is especially well-known for herb seeds. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Address: 1190 Old Salem Road; phone: (541) 928-9280; Web site: www.nicholsgardennursery.com.
Northwest Garden Nursery, Eugene. Perennials star in this popular nursery not far from the University of Oregon. Limited hours -- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Address: 86813 Central Road; phone: (541) 935-3915.
Crabtree's, Coburg. Joanne Crabtree runs a wonderful small roadside nursery featuring dahlias and gladiolas, along with plums from her orchard, dried flowers and edible seeds. Look for the signs at the southern end of Coburg Road. Hours vary, and there is an honor box for times when she's away. Phone: (541) 485-1866.
Territorial Seed Co., Cottage Grove. Inside is a great collection of seeds for flower lovers and vegetable farmers. Open 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The Oregon Garden, Silverton. The new 240-acre display center for the state's nursery industry is about 10 miles from the state capital of Salem. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Phone: (503) 874-8100; Web site: www.oregongarden.org.
The Secret Garden, Eugene. A beautiful garden-theme bed-and-breakfast. Rooms bear names like Edelweiss, Potting Shed and Weed. From $105. Address: 1910 University St., Eugene; phone: (888) 484-6755; Web site: www.secretgardenbbinn.com.