A Festival of Lilacs

Posted on May 5, 2025 by

30 Comments

We didn’t make it to the Tulip Festival this year, but we did make it to a Lilac Festival, much smaller and much more fragrant. It was the last stop on our road trip, after we crossed the Columbia River into our home state of Washington.

“The Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens is a restoration project to honor the work of famed lilac developer Hulda Klager. It contains an 1800s house and surrounding buildings and Gardens. It is a National Historic Site. In 2023 the museum/barn opened with many new exhibits. Annually, Lilac Days celebrates the site, Hulda’s work and raises funds to maintain the site.”

It was early in the season, so the many varieties of lilacs in pink, purple, and lavender pastels, were in various states of bloom.

Some were deeper shades of purple and magenta, some developed by Hulda herself.

Hulda Klager was born in Germany in 1865 and was 2 years old when her family immigrated to this country, settling in Wisconsin. They moved to Woodland, Washington in 1877 and in 1905 she began hybridizing lilacs.

“By 1920 she had developed so many new varieties that she decided to hold an open house each spring when the lilacs were in full bloom to share her efforts with other lilac enthusiasts. This practice caused her to become known as “The Lilac Lady.”

Her legacy lives on in the restored house surrounded by the lilacs that she loved, for all to enjoy.

Sharing with Sunday Stills Pastel Challenge.

~ Susanne

Category: Gardens, TravelTags: , , , , , , , ,

30 Comments on “A Festival of Lilacs”

  6. 💜😍🤗🙌🏼 totally lovely! All of our blooms are late this year. Hoping we will see lilacs in another week or two.

    • Thank you! We were there on April 20th and there were still many shrubs just starting to bloom. It’s probably at its peak now.

  8. I love this fragrant look at history, Susanne! Fantastic images of the lilacs! One of your pics shows a light purple variegated one. One of the gym members brought some today and those variegated ones were in her bouquet! You probably know Spokane is known as Lilac City. Lovely!

    • Thanks, Terri! There were so many different colors and varieties, I gave up trying to keep track of them all. But I did buy one and just planted it today! And I knew that Spokane is famous for lilacs but have never been there in the spring to see them! 🙂

  10. Beautiful lilacs. I like those purple chairs too. 🙂

  12. I love lilacs, especially the smell. When I was young we had a white lilac near the back door of our house and I could climb it and sit on a branch surrounded by that fragrance!

  13. These are impeccable lilacs. We are impressed
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    • Thanks, Pete. ☺️ It was an easy, pleasant last stop on our road trip! And the fragrance was heavenly!

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