A brand-new edition of the popular Plant Something Oregon Road Map is out, and available for people to order for FREE online at PlantSomethingOregon.com/order-the-road-map.
The map is published by the Oregon Association of Nurseries. It includes 99 retail garden centers and specialty nurseries in Oregon and SW Washington, along with 18 mail order nurseries, 33 landscaping service firms, and 44 public gardens — all waiting to be explored.
“Oregon’s independent retail nurseries are the best place to find unique plants, personal service, expert advice and fun décor,” said OAN President-Elect Darcy Ruef, who is an owner of member retailer Al’s Garden and Home. “With all the fun and unique places on the Plant Something Oregon map, you can put together your own nursery road trip and come home with all kinds of exciting treasures to beautify your garden and home.”
Importantly, gardening doesn’t just provide beauty. It offers many different tangible, research-proven benefits.
“It’s little wonder that more and more people want to get back in touch with nature, right in their own backyard,” Ruef said. “It helps their health, their finances, their property values and the environment.”
The benefits are listed on the Plant Something Oregon “Plants Make Life Better” page (PlantSomethingOregon.com/PMLB), along with research citations. These benefits include:
- Higher property values — Landscaping produces economic returns for both residential and commercial properties. A study by Charles Hall and Madeline Dickson showed that for every $1 invested in plants, property values increase an average of $1.09.
- Stress reduction — Some 40 years of research compiled by the University of Washington shows that having living plants inside and outside can alleviate mental fatigue and sharpen focus on tasks.
- Cleaner indoor air — Research shows that houseplants remove pollutants and return oxygen to the air, while providing beauty and a sense of well-being.
- Healing powers — Studies conducted in health care settings show that exposure to nature promotes healing from illness or surgery, both psychologically and mentally, speeding up recovery time.
- Better health — People who spend time outdoors with plants — in parks, gardens and other green spaces — are more active and healthier, and save money on health care costs.
- Lower crime rates — Studies show that areas with higher levels of vegetation have fewer violent crimes and fewer total crimes.
- Stronger business activity — Seasonal and permanent plant displays outside shops provide a friendlier aesthetic, making people feel better about the quality of products and services offered.
- Lowered energy and maintenance costs — Shade trees and landscaping along paved streets reduces the cost of street and building maintenance. They moderate the effects of the weather, making it less expensive to heat and cool buildings. They further reduce the urban heat island effect.
- Helping kids learn — Studies show that kids who are exposed to plants and nature are improved learners. They learn problem solving, improve their ability to concentrate and retain information, and experience greater intellectual development.
- Better outdoor air quality — Research shows that trees outdoors can purify the air in urban environments, removing pollutants while generating oxygen.
- Cleaner water — Plants purify stormwater runoff by intercepting contaminants so they don’t reach lakes and streams, while anchoring soil in place so there is less erosion.
- Stronger ecosystems — Plants are part of every healthy ecosystem, supporting the complex networks of life and providing fresh water, clean air, robust soil and diverse wildlife. This begins at root level, where plants support essential organisms that result in a healthier environment.
Oregon is one of the top commercial plant-growing states in the country, and a leader in most types of woody plants. That’s because the state offers an ideal growing environment. Adequate rainfall, a long growing season, and a community of expert growers mean that plants, trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and annuals can flourish at plant nurseries, as well as in yards and commercial installations.
The Oregon Association of Nurseries prints 35,000 copies of the map. Meanwhile, the PlantSomethingOregon.comwebsite offers a FREE newsletter, blog posts, a searchable directory of the same nurseries and much more. To receive the free newsletter, published 18 times a year, sign up on the site.
Interested groups such as garden clubs can order the maps in bulk for distribution at meetings and events. Just go to PlantSomethingOregon.com/OrderMaps/ and use the form.
The Oregon Association of Nurseries, based in Wilsonville, represents more than 700 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon’s ornamental horticulture industry is the state’s largest agricultural commodity, with annual sales of $1.3 billion in 2024. It is also a traded sector, with about 74% of the nursery plants grown in Oregon being shipped out of state. For information, visit OAN.org or call 503-682-5089.