•JUNES GARDEN1
Living with an impressive chunk, ol
geography can help put the frailty and wonder
of human actitivy in perspective Frequent
visits with rivers mountains or the ocean often
take some ot the pressure out ol work and play
That s a big part of the reason manv of us choose
to live in such places Sometimes it brings out
the best in us our intelligence creativity and
compassion
In a town like Cannon Beaeh most of the jobs
are geared to the service ol tourists and it is the
task ol the workers to attempt to please our
visitors and to do it for little more than
minimum wage
"Flowers and even fruit are only the
beginning,
In the seed lies the life and the future."
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Garden Design Magazine
Recently 1 visited the late Connie
Hansen's garden in Lincoln City, Oregon. It
is now owned and maintained by The
Connie Hansen Garden Conservancy, a non­
profit group who are dedicated to
The s h e e r n u m b e r of * lsitors bum p th e stre ss
preserving the garden as a public treasure.
levels II becomes difficult to simply walk down
the sidewalk or to shop It is relentless but it is
The garden encompasses four city lots. It
worth it because there are no employment
was designed and planted by Hansen over a
alternatives and we do want to live here
period of 20 years, from 1973 to 1993. It
But even the best of us begin to resent the
boorish behavior exhibited by a portion of our
features species compatible with coastal
visitors and wonder where to draw the line Is it
wetlands; azaleas, irises, primroses, hardy
the distinguished looking driver who waits in a
geraniums (cranesbill), hostas and over 300
crosswalk driveway or loading zone believing
that their convenience outweighs the safety of
species of rhododendrons. A variety of
others7 Or perhaps the yuppie impatient in line
trees; Stewartias, Dogwoods, and cut leaf
at a friendly restaurant who walks in and
maples, to name a few. As a botanist
proclaims to a table that they have taken enough
time with their meal7 (That one brought the
trained at the University of California,
owner chef out of the kitchen with a heavy
Berkeley, Hansen knew plants intimately
skillet )
and hybridized irises.
Or maybe it 11 just be one blundering TV brain
too many, unplugged for a change and unable to
Hansen died March, 1993, at the age of
read labels speak courteously or listen One of
84. When she started her garden she only
the people whose small children stumble into
had part of the four lots. During the 20
everything scream insistently and are never in
their double-wide strollers
years, she eventually acquired more land.
One might imagine marching these offenders
NORTH COAST
According to past publications that I had
at gunpoint into the sewage ponds Or maybe
C O N S T R U C T IO N
read, much of the land was covered with
hypnotizing them so that they'd do it voluntarily
• NEW
• MASONRY
After all. if they think Married With
blackberries and brambles when she
For All
• REMODEL • LEVELING
Your
Children is funny they might believe they
• HEATING
• PAINTING
started her garden. As my guide led me
Construction
were going pearl diving
Needs
License # 2 5 3 5 2
through the meandering paths, over bridges
Unfortunately, the composition of their brains
7 3 8 -7 5 S 3
and the sewage ponds being roughly equivalent
and under boughs of tall rhododendrons, we
SAM ABSHER
P .O . B o x 3 5 7 7
G e a rh a rt, O R 9 7 1 3 B
|
their heads would achieve neutral bouyancy
walked with caution so as not to step on
while their bodies would bloat and tend to stick
ferns or other low growing perennials she
upwards I m afraid the sight of alt those feel
had planted. I was overwhelmed to think
might scare the migratory birds Darn
this garden had been created by one woman
in her later years, but could feel the joy and
enthusiasm she might have experienced
while building it, one day and one shovel of
earth at a time. She carved and created the
P R IN T SE R V IC E S :
G r a p h ic D e s ig n A d L a y o u t s ■ B r o c h u r e s
landscape like an artist, blending chosen
B u s in e s s C a rd s L e tt e r h e a d ■ R e s u m e s
species compatible with native plants that
M e n u s F ly e r s
W e d d in g In v it a t io n s
grow in the coastal wetlands.
O T H E R S E R V IC E S:
When Hansen died the property was
U P S S h ip p in g O f f ic e S u p p lie s R u b b e r S ta m p s
S e lf- S e r v ic e C o p ie s 2 4 -H r F a x S e r v ic e
w o r d P r o c e s s in g
bought by a private party who tried to
L a m in a tio n M a ilin g L is t M a n a g e m e n t
B u lk M a ilin g
negotiate with Lincoln City to buy and
P h o n e - (5O 3)43&2O ()O
4 5 6 » 18 8 5
¡235 S. Hemlock
F
a
x
-
(5
0
3
)4
3
6
-0
7
4
6
preserve the garden. These plans failed. A
Cannon Beach
group of people came forth, and with the
help of a generous gift, the ownership was
reservations : 436-2
t m t ^ e m w o ^ ^ annojobeaci ^
then placed in the hands ot The Connie
Hansen Conservancy.
My guide, "Scotty" Robert Scotton,
explained the steps the conservancy had
IN AN UNJUST WORLD...JUSTICE.
successfully completed so that the garden
could be open to the public: buying the
Personal Injury Lawyer
property, filing for non-profit status,
C O N TE M P O R A R Y negotiating with the city and neighboring
GREGORY K \EOLRY
D ESIG N
property owners concerning parking and
many other permits in order to comply with
202 Oregon Pioneer Building
E I N E ART
Phone:
regulations for a public use area in a
320 S.W. Stark Street
(503) 224-2647
Portland. OR 97204
residential section.
I was in awe of the incredible energy the
(503) 436-2910
group has shown and of their dreams for
the future. Between the spring of 1993 and
263 N. Hemlock
P.O. Box 1208
the fall of 1994 the garden and house had
Cannon Beach, OR 97110
not had serious maintenance. Blackberry
Programs
DLD ¡lift) X
vines, morning glory and other weeds
Week
S
at
Sun
covered some of the original design. Trees
C h ris te n
L in d a
at a
Mon Tue Wed Thu F ri
Glance
A
l
l
s
o
p
K
i
n
h
a
n
and shrubs needed pruning. Discovered
Morning Edition
paths throughout the garden were
M orning Classical Music
overgrown. Single file bridges that crossed
over the fresh water stream that runs
1235 S. H E M LO C K
through the property had to be rebuilt. As
Cannon Beach
members of the conservancy restored the
7 A M — 2PM
garden, they became more familiar with the
Breakfast 4t Lunch
hundreds of plants Hansen had planted.
Closed Mon. 4c Tuea.
Scotton pointed out the two ponds she had
SCREENPRINTING AT ITS FINEST
built with no access, yet no explanation of
T-Shirts • Jackets • Hats • Aprons
her intention was evident. She also would
Posters • Rags • Banner
Plastics • Vinyls • Stickers
dig one hole and plant three unrelated
QUALITY TOOLS, INC.
738-3074
Specialists in Special Effects
plants in that hole. As a fellow plants-
I 2966 Hwy. 101 N.
Cannon Beacb/ManwniU - 89.5 ‘ ’ Tillamook/Caftilamet - 90.1
saws
t
Seaside, OR 97138
woman, I surmised she probably was tired
Lewis He Clark/South Astoria -91.1
DRILLS
of digging holes but couldn’t resist collecting
GRINDERS
2038 SE Belm ont
Portland. OR 97214
COMPRESSORS
plants.
STATIONARY EQUIPMENT
(503) 236-2088
AIR TOOLS
Continued next pay«
FAX (503) 236-1886
UPPLK LIFT LDCL M O S T W15
2&4CYCLE