The Dalles Beautification & Tree Committee Announces July 2025 Beautification Award Winner
From The Beautification & Tree Committee:
By Abigail Jara
The Dalles, Oregon — The Beautification & Tree Committee proudly honors Marsha Morrison with the July Beautification Award for their outstanding garden at 311 E 7th Place.
Marsha Morrison said, “When my husband, Al, and I purchased our home in 1993, everything in the yard was overgrown. We removed unmanageable cotoneasters, mugo pines and seemingly endless ivy. We kept a unique espaliered pyracantha, though it was difficult to keep pruned, and we weren't particularly fond of it. Mother Nature, in the form of an ice storm, saved us from having to decide whether to keep it or not.
We purchased additional abutting property from the city in 2005 and began more extensive improvements to our now one-third acre garden. The garden has always been a "by guess and by gosh "operation. There has never been a grand overall scheme. I've had plants that became invasive; other plants couldn't survive the hot sun; and others that just were more trouble than they were worth. Many of my plants have a story of when and why they came to live here. Yellow iris and spirea, as well as some shrubs and trees, came with the house and have survived moving from place to place and many divisions. Roses have come from AFS, the year we were host parents, gifts from our kids, and a longtime friend. I treasure plants that have been given to me over the years by friends, all of which also have multiplied and survived the whims of a fairly neurotic gardener. I think one of the joys of gardening is sharing and exchanging plants.
My husband was clearly very patient as the muscles for my vision, which could change often. He spent hours at rock quarries picking up the rocks I pointed out and hauling and placing them in their final space. He added irrigation to the west and north of the house, which was tricky due to the rocky terrain. His least favorite thing to hear from me was "I've been thinking ... "
After his death in 2013, I struggled to keep up with the monster we had created and to continue development of the garden I envisioned. Thus began a series of hired people to do the heavy lifting for me. A couple of years ago, I had significant health issues that prevented me from doing much of anything. I have been so very lucky to have people in my life who have given their time, skill, and energy to keep my garden going when I couldn't.
My garden has been my labor of love for 32 years. I could not, however, have accomplished it on my own. It is where it is today because of my husband, those friends who have helped along the way, as well as persons I have hired. I'm still not done. It continues to be an ever-evolving work in progress.”
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