Lilacs being my favorite flower, every Spring I hope to be able to make a trip home to Oregon in time to enjoy my mother’s lilacs in bloom. Luckily, this year my Spring trip coincided with the Lilac Days festival in Woodland, Washington. The early blooming lilacs were passed their prime, the mid blooming lilacs were perfect, and the late bloomers were yet to bloom.

Hulda Klager began hybridizing lilacs in 1905 and was known as “The Lilac Lady.” This year the 1880s farm house was closed to guests, but the gardens were open. There are many varieties of lilacs. Thank goodness for the name plates, because without them it would be hard to remember all the names.

I wandered the gardens and enjoyed the many varieties of lilacs and their beautiful fragrance.

From the website lilacgardens.com:

The members of the Lilac Society put in many hours of hard work hoeing, spraying, weeding and pruning in order to restore the gardens to the condition they enjoyed under Hulda Klager’s care. The house was also restored and turned into a museum to honor The Lilac Lady. Much of Hulda Klager’s own furniture has been returned, along with other pioneer-era treasures from the Woodland area.

The woodshed, water tower, and carriage house have also been restored through another grant-in-aid from Washington State. The carriage barn houses a gift shop that offers souvenirs and craft items from local artists. The Lilac Society also revived her annual “Lilac Days” each spring when the lilacs come into bloom, selling lilac plants to visitors just as when Hulda Klager was there.

I got very lucky with the sunny weather at the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens. Springtime in Oregon is predominantly rain showers.