Submitted by Westport Winery
Westport Winery and Vineyards by-the-Sea co-owners, Blain and Kim Roberts, will create Grays Harbor County’s first arboretum on 40 acres located across State Route 105 from their winery and vineyard. The property was purchased from Rayonier, a global forest products company, in 2012. Westport will be the first winery in the United States to create its own arboretum.
The Roberts decided to dedicate the parcel to sustainable use for recreation and science on the suggestion of Don Tapio (Agriculture and Community Horticulture Agent for Grays Harbor and Thurston Counties). “We want to create a unique wilderness interface featuring great photographic and wildlife viewing opportunities, along with information on preserving native plants, eliminating noxious weeds, and incorporating ornamental collections within a timber environment,” said Blain Roberts.
An arboretum is a living museum that often includes a botanical garden containing documented specific collections of plants. The goals of this effort include community engagement, plant conservation within the living wilderness, and creating a symbiotic relationship between people, plants and wildlife. The property’s zoning allows for its use as a park and is planted in timber. There are twenty-two arboretums or botanical gardens in Washington State, the nearest of which is located in Tacoma. It is typical for these gardens to start as private properties and to be works in process for generations.
Since the winery contributes a portion of the proceeds from each of its wines to selected local charitable organizations, the Roberts plan to enlist some of these groups in the project. Kim Roberts said, “In one day I observed twenty-five different bird species on the property. We hope to work with Grays Harbor Audubon to record the avian species on the site, create better habitat, and teach others how to better appreciate the diversity.” Other groups the winery has supported and hopes to enlist are Grays Harbor and Pacific County Master Gardeners, the Twin Harbors Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Grays Harbor Ducks Unlimited.
Blain added, “Our focus, since we began the winery, has been to express our passion for this community by making great wine. In the process, we have had the privilege of developing deep relationships with these organizations and have collaborated with them on many fundraisers. This is another incredible opportunity for us to work with others who share our passion,”
The couple’s adult children, Carrie, Westport Winery’s general manager, and Dana, head winemaker, echo their parents’ enthusiasm for the enterprise. Since acquiring the property both have spent time exploring and evaluating the land’s potential. Carrie Roberts said, “Our family has always loved the outdoors and it’s natural that we adopt this property as a new project.” For Dana the connection to the land is equally important, “We were raised to love our community, love the land, and love the entrepreneurial spirit. It’s just who we are and how we think.”
At what will be known as the Westport Winery Arboretum, the Roberts plan to begin with a focus on collecting Japanese maples, conifers, rock plants, ferns, moss, lilacs, heather, azalea, rhododendron, and wildflowers. Each collection will be strategically placed to integrate with the varied terrain and habitat of the property including the individual needs of the plant harmonized within the site and aesthetically pleasing landscape design. Kim Roberts, who has two degrees in architecture from Washington State University, will lead the design process.
In 2007, it was Tapio who advised the Roberts, “Plant a vineyard and build a winery.” Since then the couple have enlisted his advice and passion for plants throughout their project as they developed a destination winery complete with a plant nursery, display gardens, restaurant and bakery. Because Tapio has his own Christmas tree farm, the Roberts will honor his intellectual contributions to the project by naming one section of the arboretum the Tapio Conifer Collection. In his professional capacity Tapio provides leadership to the Master Gardener Program in Pacific, Grays Harbor and Thurston Counties. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Floriculture from Washington State University and a Masters of Agriculture degree from the University of Idaho. Tapio is also the author of the book More Than A Green Thumb which is available at Westport Winery.
According to Tapio, “One more indication of the generosity of the Robert’s family to our community is their commitment to establish the area’s first arboretum with a focus on plants indigenous to our coastal area. In addition to being a place for plant collections, I hope the arboretum will provide a outdoor teaching laboratory for both youth and adults wanting to learn more about the plants that do well in our coastal climate. Having a place set aside in which plants can be nurtured to grow and mature is perhaps the finest gift that can be given to local gardeners, educators and others wanting to learn more our local plant communities. Their legacy with creating an arboretum will span the generations.”
As part of this project, the winery staff and volunteers will start by identifying and preserving the existing native species while eliminating noxious and invasive plants. They will then thoughtfully add plants to the collection while labeling and documenting the Latin and common names, date and source of acquisition, and possible usage. This information is then available for educational use by schools and other organizations, as recreational stimulus, and simply for the pleasure of learning. In the near future the family plans to open the project for public viewing on an invitational basis as the plants are established.
Westport Winery was named Washington Winery to Watch in 2011 by Wine Press Northwest and has been voted Best Northwest Destination Winery and Wine Tour twice by King 5 Evening Magazine. The Roberts family was selected as one of the top three small family businesses in Washington in 2012 by Seattle Business Magazine.
Westport Winery, Restaurant, Bakery and Nursery are open daily at 11a.m. The winery serves lunch daily from 11 am. to 4 pm. and dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings from 4 p.m. to 8.p.m. The winery with its unique grape maze, extraordinary outdoor sculptures, and display gardens is located on the corner of Highway 105 and South Arbor Road halfway between Westport and Aberdeen. For more information call Westport Winery at 360-648-2224.
