Lilac Heaven

Hello my friends!  How would you like to join Gracie and me for a walk around a lilac garden?  You would?  OK!  On Wednesday we'd agreed that if it wasn't going to rain that we'd drive up to Woodland WA and do some walking instead of swimming.  It was cloudy but not raining so off we went.  Gracie had never been to Hulda Klager's Lilac Garden so I wanted to show her.  It's a 45 minute drive north across the Columbia River and up the 205 and I-5 freeways.  We found the garden and this beautiful gazebo covered with Wisteria is what greets you.  

The wonderful Klager farmhouse is ahead and there are nice level brick walkways around the garden.  Lilac Days began just a few days after our visit so the house was not open, nor the gift shop.  I've been in the house and it's a wonderful step back in time, pretty much as Hulda Klager left it.  I may go back and go inside.  

There are huge Rhododendron and Camellia bushes around the grounds.

All the lilacs are in the huge backyard.  They have many different varieties and colors.  Each one has a name tag underneath.

The barn is where the gift shop is located, you can imagine all sorts of wonderful tea cups and tea towels with lilacs on them inside.  They still have the water tower and windmill there.  So picturesque!!

Have you ever seen this amazing variety of Lilac?  It's called "Sensation" and is deep lavender with a white edging.  I actually bought one of these at HK's garden years ago but it reverted to rootstock so I don't have this.  I *want* this variety.  I tried to buy another one that had many flowers on it but it was for "show" and I could only get smaller ones with no flowers so I shied away from it.  But I should have gotten one.

I forgot the name of this one, but I'd like to have one of it too.. isn't it pretty?  White blooms that start out with pink buds.. I think it's delicate and delightful.

I think this pale blue variety is "President Lincoln".  

This gorgeous creature is called "Pink Elizabeth" and I didn't see any in the sales area but I'd like to have one.  :-)

I also didn't get the name of this one but I love it, with violet petals that begin as red-violet buds.  Gorgeous!!  

From the back of the garden you look over big green lawns to the barn, water tower and windmill.  So serene and pretty here.

If you're a long-time reader of my blog you may know that I am rather besotted obsessed about windmills.  :-)  I'd love to have one on the farm here.

After our visit to the lilac garden we went to a little place called America's Family Diner for lunch and had a delicious cheeseburger and fries, Gracie even had the sweet potato fries.  Yum.  Every space on the wall here is covered with photos of local people who had served in the military.  Very patriotic.

Across the parking lot I spied this amazing tree that had apparently blown over in a storm and was left there.. and one branch just grew on up into another huge tree!

We then drove to the other side of the freeway and found Tsugawa Nursery which is a favorite of mine.  I saw these amazing tree Peonies - pink, lavender and white.  The flowers were as big as a dinner plate.  

Which do you like best, the pink or lavender?

Tsugawa nursery.

They have these great groupings of colorful plants and trees that draw you in.

I volunteered at Multnomah Falls and as I was zooming to get there I noted that the Camas was in bloom.  After we finished our shift and were heading home I pulled over and did some picture taking with my iPhone.  The Camas blooms here every year, you can see the Columbia River and Washington State across the way.

The Camas was an important food for the Native people that lived here.

They're really pretty, too.

When I posted on Facebook that I'd gone to the lilac garden one of my friends told me of a book written about the woman who planted the garden.  I'd just finished my last book so I bought this on my iPad and am reading it now, it's quite good!  I also heard that the author will be at the garden on May 1st.  Hmmm.  :-)  Click HERE to find the book on Amazon.

Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend?  We don't, but I love unscheduled weekend days.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)