A-Mazing Water Garden

This award-winning garden beautifully incorporates a circular water garden with an ornate bridge, criss-crossing paths and a cascading waterfall. This area combines wildlife habitat and treated wastewater recycling with the creation of a botanical haven, functions that typically are kept separate. It is a shining example of how public gardens can serve multiple purposes.

Amazing Water Garden Designer: Carol Mayer-Reed.

Award: In 2002 the Amazing Water Garden received an Honor Award in the area of Environmental/Sustainable Design from the Oregon Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Green Guide Stop number five

Botanical Burrito and Floating Nursery

Take a stroll through the A-mazing Water Garden and notice the floating willow arbor - you're looking at a floating wetland garden! Botanical burritos are actually plant fiber tortillas (i.e. coir fabric) wrapped
around wetland plant seedlings. The burritos are set in nursery flats which are placed in flotation structures in constructed wetlands. As you can imagine, plants flourish in our nutrient-rich wetland water!.

Green Guide Stop number six

Barley Straw Algae Control

In the filter trough atop the A-Mazing Water Garden water wall are logs of barley straw wrapped in coconut fiber netting. SPROut has partnered with OSU’s Crop and Soil Science Department to research the use of barley straw to control algae. The theory that decomposing barley straw reduces algae growth in ponds and wetlands is extremely attractive because the process is completely natural and cannot harm fish, plants or people.

Learn more about our Green:

To learn more about the innovative ways in which The Oregon Garden is demonstrating environmental, economic, and social sustainability, look for the Green Guide Stop Signs throughout this site or pick up a Green Guide when you arrive at the visitors center and follow the self-guided tour throughout The Garden.