Lilacs and Tulips

A couple of weeks ago my mom and I headed out for a day full of flowers. It seemed like the perfect mom date and I wanted to get outside and take pictures of pretty things. Well, and to spend quality time with my mom, of course…but mostly the pictures.

First, we went to the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodland, WA for their annual “Lilac Days.” I won’t go into too many details, for fear of putting some of you to sleep, but the history behind Hulda and her lilac hybridization is pretty darn fascinating – she was quite an impressive woman. As you’d expect, her garden is absolutely beautiful, and during Lilac Days you can actually tour the inside of her farmhouse, which was built by her father in 1889. Also? It’s only a $2 entry fee for the whole shebang. So there you have it, a perfect mom date for only $2 (plus the cost of gas to get there, which probably equates to eleventy billion dollars given its distance from Portland and fuel costs these days, but I digress). I then had lots of leftover dollars to buy a lilac bush of my very own. One that I will probably dig up and take with me if we ever move because I love it so much.

After a nice (read also: huge, greasy) lunch we headed the opposite direction down to Woodburn, OR for the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm annual Tulip Festival. This is a much bigger ordeal and quite popular ’round these parts. Needless to say, it was probably the most stunning display of flowers and color I’ve ever gotten to witness in person. It can get a bit crowded on weekends, but it’s absolutely worth the trip if you ever get the chance.

Today, I encourage you to stop and smell the flowers. But don’t do it here…people might judge you for sniffing your monitor. You’ll just have to wander outside for your happy nose hugs.

The gorgeous wedding dress below was handmade by Hulda for one of her daughters. It reminds me a lot of the styles brides are wearing now!

For those of you wondering, yes I did try to get a picture of my super-awesome mom, but she politely declined. I can’t really blame her, I tend to do the same thing. Usually because I’m pretty convinced that every picture of me makes it appear as though I have a serious medical issue.

Anyway, happy Tuesday!