Strolling downtown on Brooks Street, passersby may suddenly get bombarded by a lush garden full of eye popping colors during late spring and summer. On the side of the Common’s Cafe & Taproom, a tiny space is filled with many varieties of plants like Rockcress, Allum, Iris and others. The Maltese Cross in full bloom is one of my favorites. The small garden shows what is possible in a region where many of us gardeners get frustrated.
This little oasis of vegetation is known as Libby’s Garden, which leads to our local reader Rachel’s question, “Who is Libby?”
Elizabeth “Libby” McGeary was a longtime Bend resident. Born in 1923, she and her husband moved to Bend from Portland in 1957. Already a natural green thumb and avid gardener, she quickly transformed the yard of her new home into a beautiful English-style garden worthy to be envied and admired. In no time, locals were asking how she grew those thriving perennials and luscious herbs.
Her plants were so prolific that Libby opened Mint Hill Nursery at her home where she started seeds under a grow light in her kitchen. Once they were ready, people from town would purchase them to add to their own gardens. Known as the “Vinegar Lady,” she also made and sold flavored bottles of her freshly grown herbs. Libby even garnered national press and earned an entry into a Time Life Complete Gardener book!
This might sound like a lot of acclaim for a local nursery owner, but those of us who garden in Central Oregon can appreciate how difficult a task this can be. The recognition was much deserved.
A Master Gardener, Libby kept copious notes of her horticultural activities, writing down weather patterns, which plant types thrived and which didn’t, composition of the soil, and other important information. Her goal was to make the plants hardy for the High Desert, unlike those we get from the box stores these days, which often aren’t native or adaptive to our climate. Most importantly, Libby recommended patience. In fact, once I started reading about her, I was determined to unearth the secrets of her success.
Like most effective gardeners, Libby focused on the soil. She added lots of nutrients to the sandy dirt like peat moss and manure, but it appears she used lots of mushroom compost as the secret ingredient. Believe me, I’ll be digging in deeper about that one.
Deeply involved in the community, Libby was also part of Arts Central, the organization that helped rescue the Goodwille-Allen House (Bend’s oldest residence by the way). Once slated for demolition to make room for a parking lot, the bungalow-style home was preserved in 1992 thanks to this forward-thinking group.
This effort gave Libby the opportunity to design a small plot of the property as an educational garden. She contributed plants from her own collection (along with plenty of mushroom compost), and her art degree likely shaped its design and aesthetic. What we have now is far more meaningful than the parking lot that nearly took its place!
Friends and family recall her kindness and natural skills. When I spoke with Libby’s son, Duncan McGeary, local writer and longtime owner of the downtown shop, Pegasus Books, he shared some past articles and fond memories of his mother.
“She just knew what to do. But most importantly she was a mentor to a couple of generations of gardeners who carried on. Very giving and respected.”
When I asked if he picked up the green thumb gene, let’s just say I’ll keep our conversations focused on books and local history.
Libby passed away in 2002, but her garden continues to flourish. After her passing, the Hardy Plant Garden Club stepped in, with then-president Maureen Klecker pledging to carry on her vision. While the organization still exists in other cities, the Bend chapter has since dissolved. At some point, the Newcomers of Bend took over and still give it the TLC it deserves to maintain its beauty. Daniel Baumann, current owner of the Commons Cafe, says volunteers come most Wednesday mornings to tend the garden. Over the years, plants have been removed and added as well as extras like a sitting bench, a metal sculpture, and a trellis.
Libby would likely be proud to see that this small plot remains one of the most stunning gardens in town, continuing to inspire others. Her legacy lives on.
This article appears in the Source April 23, 2026.
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