From 1804 to 1904, Americans traveled the western frontier to rediscover ancient landscapes and carve out new opportunities. As a result, today’s garden lovers are able to enjoy the long-standing, well-preserved homes and gardens of the West. More than homes, these places were where people lived and loved and made a life for themselves and a new country for us all.
A Garden Lover’s Out West Adventure
In this portion of our Green-Thumb’s Guide to Legendary Gardens, we’ll take you from the great Bozeman Trail to the West Coast with opportunities to stop and smell the flowers along the way. No need to hitch up your wagon – just hop in the car and come along to see the best gardens in the Western U.S.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
Mandel Cabin & Postal Office
Sheridan, Wyoming
Gold fever brought many through the Bozeman Trail – including George Mandel. Its modern counterpart, I-25, now brings garden and history lovers to visit The Mandel Cabin & Post Office in Wyoming. Just over 25 miles south of the Montana border, Mandel built a cabin as a Post Office in what is now the town of Sheridan.
The original cabin was moved several times until The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Wyoming purchased the cabin in 1976. They were able to rebuild the cabin in today’s Whitney Commons Park. Here it’s surrounded by the beautiful Dorothy King Reflective Garden. The park and landscape are open to the public and visitors can promenade by the fountain or pause for a moment of reflection in the labyrinth.
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In the Garden:
- Labyrinth
- Fountain
- Irises
Other Attractions:
- Whitney Commons Amphitheatre
- Spraygrounds
Things to do Nearby:
Places to Eat:
Hoover-Minthorn House Museum
Newberg, Oregon
“In this cottage and orchard, with its cherries, its apples and its pears, I spent formative years of my boyhood. Here I roamed the primitive forests with their carpets of flowers, their ferns, their never forgettable fragrance.”
A day’s drive West of the Mandel Cabin is the Hoover-Minthorn House Museum in Newberg, Oregon. Named after Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, this home is famous for its pear tree orchard. (Young Hoover, having never before tasted pears, once overindulged. He never forgot the mistake or his resulting illness!) The original orchard also featured apple trees, damson plum trees, and a vegetable garden.
Prior to opening in 1955, the Hoover-Minthorn House Museum restored the grounds with the help of landscape architect, Elizabeth Lord. Today’s garden is based on the styles of 1900-1910 which were influenced by Britain’s Victoria-era landscapes with hedges, native shrubs, and of course, a fruit orchard.
The museum is open to visitors from February through mid-December, but of course, the best time to visit is when everything is in bloom!
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In the Garden:
- Winter nelis pear
- Boxwoods
- Rugosa roses
- Red currant
- Fruit orchard
Other Attractions:
Things Nearby:
- 99 West Drive-In – Kid-friendly
- Bald Peak State Park
- Chehalem Cultural Center
Places to Eat:
Octagon House
San Francisco, California
San Francisco has never been short on a list of must-see places, but botanical aficionados definitely won’t want to miss the lush gardens of the Octagon House. Located a mile inland from the Fisherman’s Wharf in the Cow Hollow District, this unique home catches the eye with its 8-sided frame. Built in 1861, the house was part of a wave of octagonal architecture, especially in San Francisco.
In 1952, the home was in danger of being demolished until the California Society of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America moved the house across the street and began efforts to restore the home. In 1957, the Dames added a colonial-style garden adjacent to the house to allow visitors to admire the home from the outside, too. Visitors can saunter through well-kept box hedges to admire a variety of 18th century-inspired flowers and evergreens.
Fun Fact: In 1993, the garden received an award by San Francisco Beautiful “in recognition of a contribution to the creation and preservation of beauty and tradition in San Francisco”.
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In the Garden:
- Indian hawthorn trees
- Camellia
- Hydrangea
- Japanese anemone
- Tulip trees
Other Attractions:
Things Nearby:
Places to Eat:
Continue Your Green-Thumb Journey
Now that we’ve traveled West Across the Continent, we’re encouraging you to look Eastward! There are more legendary gardens to see in the Mid-Atlantic and New England!