Tuesday, February 21, 2017

The Prehistoric Gardens

Browsing an antique shop with my parents I happened to catch sight of this brochure and of course I picked it up, wouldn't you?

And once I saw that it was for a "garden" in Oregon, well I had to buy it. Here's the front and back unfolded to show the Tyrannosaurus.

Reading through the pamphlet I couldn't really get a good sense of when it was printed. It certainly exudes a certain sense of pride..."There have been, of course, other reconstructions of dinosaurs in the world, such as those at Rapid City, South Dakota and Calgary, Canada, but the PREHISTORIC GARDENS is the only place where they are presented in their natural setting so that the visitor may see them just as they appeared when alive; for here in the rain forests of the Southern Oregon Coast can be found the type of ground cover that grew during the age of dinosaurs, particularly the many types of ferns that grow so profusely in this area, and it is this primitive ground cover that makes it literally a prehistoric garden."

Under the subheading Plant Life Of The Area..."Another type of living fossil found in this area is the Horsetail or Scouring Rush (Equisetum) which is another spore-bearing plant related to the Calamites of the Carboniferous era. Neither the ferns nor the Horsetail Rushes ever "learned" to grow seeds but spread from microscopic spores that are carried by the wind, just as their ancestors did over 250 million years ago; and although they are the most primitive of plans they must also be considered to be one the most successful." And in case you were concerned there is "Adequate parking for the convenience of motorists"...

The drawings are charming.

And a map! In case you're thinking about visiting yes, The Prehistoric Gardens has a website, and they claim to be "A Famous Roadside Attraction along Oregon’s Highway 101 Coastal Route since 1955." Be sure to let me know if you visit!

Weather Diary, February 20: Hi 50, Low 40/ Precip .81

All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

18 comments:

  1. OMG, that's pretty cool. I love stuff like this.

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    1. Right? If you're ever in the area be sure to stop and take pictures!

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  2. I've been on that stretch of 101 many times, yet I never noticed any signs. I wonder what plants they have growing there aside from horsetail rush and ferns...

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    1. See below, and then Instagram, for a photo!

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  3. If I designed that i'd be tempted to add Araucaria and Gunnera to the design, plus anything with coarse or leathery leaves.

    It's crossed my mind a few times!

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  4. Went with my kids last summer. It was amazing. I'll post some pictures to Instagram and tag you all.

    -jeremy @bixbybotanicals

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  5. I remember driving past it on my way to and from Brookings and thinking "tourist trap." Sadly (or not) I've lost my interest in "attractions" like this and would much rather visit a garden or go on a hike without the gimmicks.

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    1. Ah come on, where's your sense of good old American fun!?

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  6. I'm surprised it's still there!

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  7. What a find at the antique store! Fun that this still exists as so many roadside attractions of this type are now gone. Piling the whole family into the station wagon for a road trip isn't as popular as it once was. (sigh...)

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    1. So true. Today's kids don't know what they're missing!

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  8. I thought you were going to say it was long gone. Interesting that someone has seen it and like it. Maybe this is how you get kids interested in gardening!

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    1. Or at least away from their screens for awhile?

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  9. About 20 years ago, Judy and I took a trip to a variety of dinosaur digs in Wyoming and Utah. No dino-era plant life, but still it was fun. I'm sure if we had lived in the area we would have visited this place.

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  10. A must-stop attraction when kids are in the car. I remember it well.

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