Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens

Woodland, WA - Hulda Klager was a remarkable woman who had an eye for plants and flowers. She had a vision for what could be, and, inspired by the work of Luther Burbank and others, she began hybridizing the flowers in her yard, including lilacs and even a bigger, tastier, easier to peel apple. She created many new varieties of lilacs and became known in her community as the "Lilac Lady".

Hulda overcame a number of obstacles throughout her career, including the death of her husband Frank, and a flood which wiped out all of her plants and shrubs when she was 83. Fortunately, a lifetime of generosity in sharing her plantings was rewarded when members of the community were able to help her recover and rebuild her beautiful garden.

Moskvy (Krasavistsa)

After Hulda's death in 1960, the people who owned the 4.5 acre property weren't able to maintain it. It was sold and marked to be bulldozed to make room for an industrial site. The Woodland Federated Garden Club sprang into action, forming the Hulda Klager Lilac Society, a non-profit organization, and obtaining the deed to the property and raising money to purchase the house. The gardens and home are now a national landmark.*

Nadezhda

Water Tower Under Repair

We had a wonderful visit to the gardens. They are maintained by volunteers and charge a small fee for admission. They also sell lilac plants. Sofia is interested in hybridizing and she would like to create her own variety of fruit, so I was not surprised to find her walking through the gardens with one of the gardeners, learning about how lilacs are grown.

Beauty around every corner!

There are trees, bushes and plants of many different kinds around the property. Many of the flower beds just look like a fairy could be found nearby.

Photo by Joanna Fenner.

*I found the information for this post in Where Lilas Still Bloom by Jane Kirkpatrick and on the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens website: www.lilacgardens.com