Tiniest park on Earth — In Talent, OR!

We were excited to read about the “tiniest park on Earth,” recently constructed in Talent.  The park, yet to have a formal name, is part of the pollinator park located near central Talent.  It can be accessed near the Valley View Road roundabout.  Click here for directions and a local map.

Talent was not defeated by the destructive Alameda fire and evidence of reconstruction is all around, not the least in their parks.  Deciding to uproot Portland’s bragging rights about having the tiniest park in the world, the Talent Public Arts Committee presented the challenge to the community.  The Talent Bee City and Talent Garden Club sprang into action.   The new park is a tidy 374 square inches, clearly smaller than Portland’s Mill’s End Park, an expansive 452 square inches.  To their credit, Portland accepted being reduced to second place gracefully.

The pollinator-friendly tiny park is surrounded by bee themed mosaics and has a notably short fence.  Bob looked for homunculi bearing rakes and hoes without success.  Admittedly, this may not be an awe inspiring park, but kudos to the pluck of the park’s creators.  It is worth a stop if you are shopping, eating, or going to the Camelot in Talent.  Or, if you are true fan of oddities.  — Anne

Anne is a gracious, supportive person, and it is true that Talent has been through a lot lately, but c’mon — World’s tiniest garden?????  If the 374 sq. in. park were a square (it is actually a hexagon, presumably to make the bees feel at home) it would be 19.3 inches on a side.  Grumpy old Bob feels that this leaves a lot of room for further shrinkage, which may well have already happened somewhere on the planet.  And there is the never-ending debate about what is truly odd.  Unusual, yes, uncommon, certainly (although it may seem that way because of lack of publicity for the competitors).

However, rather than quibble about the boundaries of oddness, we can agree that this is a charming if low-key stopover if you are drawn by the Camelot Theatre close by (enjoyable musicals) or brunch at the Sweet Beet Station (a bit farther W on Main street).  Yes, there is talent in Talent.  And if little gardens arouse your competitive instincts —                                                                Bob