Hulda Klager, the Lilac Lady

Imagine losing your life’s work. Imagine having to start all over again. Now, imagine doing all that at age 85. That daunting task faced Hulda Klager when the Columbia River swept over its banks in the flood of 1948, inundating her home and destroying all her beloved lilacs. Hulda, known around town as “The Lilac Lady,” immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1865 at the age of two. Her family eventually settled on a small farm in Woodland, Washington, about 25 miles north of Portland. Their Victorian home, built in 1887, remains on that site today.

While Hulga led a busy life of marriage and motherhood, she always maintained a strong interest in flowers and plants. In 1903, while recuperating from an illness, some neighbors gave her a book by the famous plant hybridizer, Luther Burbank. She was immediately fascinated by the process and set about to create a new apple, one that would be larger and less time-consuming to peel. After that success she turned her attention to lilacs. Within a few years, she had developed many new varieties and became regionally recognized and honored for her achievements. In the spring when the lilacs were in full bloom, she would always open her gardens to the public in what became know locally as Lilac Week.  When the flood destroyed all her plants, Hulga’s neighbors donated starts and clippings from lilacs she had given them, and with determination and hard work, she restored the garden and brought back Lilac Week. After her death in 1960, Hulga’s property with its lovely gardens faced the prospect of being bulldozed and turned into an industrial park. Members of the local garden club rallied to the cause and had the property declared a state and national historic site. One member exchanged 7 acres of land for the 4.5 acres of Hulga’s garden and the property is now in the safe and caring hands of the Hulda Klager Lilac Society. While the gardens are open year round, the ideal time to visit is during the annual Lilac Festival when the bushes are at their full and fragrant best.

The grounds include over 150 varieties of lilacs in all shades of purples from violet to lavender, as well as pinks, whites, and yellows. Many of these varieties, including some developed by Hulga, are available for sale with the profits going to fund the Lilac Society’s efforts in maintaining and restoring the gardens. In addition to the more than 250 lilac bushes, other plants, including rhododendron, camellias, wild flowers, and rare shrubs decorate the property. Trees in the garden were the sole survivors of the flood and are now some of the largest in Washington State.  In front of the house is a colorful Victorian-era garden.

The farmhouse is now open year round from 11 am to 2 pm. Inside, are many of Hulda’s original furnishings along with quilts, antiques and collectibles from the area. The water mark along the wall and a series of old photos dramatize the height and damage of the flood. Costumed hostesses are stationed in the rooms to answer any questions about the furnishings or the remarkable life of Hulda Klager.

This year’s Lilac Festival runs through May 14, 10am until 4pm daily.  The cost to enter the gardens and farmhouse is $2. From Portland, travel north on I-5 and exit at Woodland, Exit 21 and head west, under the freeway; signs show the way to the gardens from there. To learn more about the festival and gardens, visit the web site at www.lilacgardens.com, or call 360-225-8996 to check on the status of the blossoms.

Mt. Angel Abbey: A Quiet Place Close By

A verse from the Book of Mark states, “Come away to a quiet place by yourself and rest awhile.” There is no quieter place to escape the stresses of contemporary life, or to steal some quite time for contemplation and reflection than the Mt. Angel Abbey.
Located about 40 miles south of Portland, the abbey sits on a hilltop above the town of Mt. Angel. The serene setting provides a stunning view of four volcanoes, the foothills of the Cascades, and a great chunk of verdant, Willamette Valley farmland. Wide lawns, sturdy Romanesque brick buildings, grand old trees, and black-robed monks strolling across campus contribute to the site’s special ambiance.

The abbey was founded in 1882, by Benedictine monks from the Engelberg Abbey in Switzerland. Fearing religious suppression in their own country, several monks were dispatched to America to seek a place of possible refuge. Their travels took them to Missouri, California, and finally to the young state of Oregon. While life in the Wild West was not always easy, they managed to survive huge debts, internal squabbles, and a series of devastating fires to develop a thriving religious community. Today, the abbey continues preserving the 1500-year monastic tradition of work, prayer, and study. In addition to the 50 or so resident monks, about 150 seminarians are at the abbey training and studying for the priesthood.
People of all faiths are invited to enjoy the Benedictine tradition of hospitality in a visit to the abbey. For those seeking that “quiet place” for some spiritual r&r, the retreat house offers simple rooms for overnight or short term stays. At $77 (single room) per day ($124 double), guests receive three buffet meals, a million dollar view, an escape from television, and the opportunity to participate in the many daily prayer services sung by the monks.

Visitors are invited to use, or at least take a peek at, the abbey’s magnificent library. Designed by world-famous Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto, the building features a fan-shaped plan with skylights and rows of high windows. “Even on the gloomiest of Oregon winter days, the room is flooded with bright, natural light,” according to the librarian. The collection includes approximately 250,000 volumes with an emphasis on religion, philosophy, and the humanities. All the furniture and fixtures in the library were designed by Aalto, and reflect a modern, Scandinavian sleekness and simplicity.
Also of interest to visitors are two small, but unusual museums. The first, sometimes referred to as the natural history museum, displays a huge collection of stuffed mammals and birds donated to the abbey by an avid wild game hunter. It certainly serves as a testimony to the art of taxidermy. Other exhibits, displayed on a rotating basis, feature small collections of odds and ends ranging from glass paperweights to pink coral formations, all donated to the monks for safekeeping. Sadly, the world’s largest hairball has been rotated out of the current exhibition, but the two-headed calf is on display!

The other museum reflects one monk’s keen interest in the “Old Believers,” a breakaway sect of the Russian Orthodox church. Choosing to ignore reforms, they continue to practice the older rites and rituals, and lead a more traditional lifestyle. The museum chronicles their troubled history of persecution, first from the Tsars and then the Communists; and their subsequent flight for refuge in such far-flung destinations as China, Tibet, Brazil, and the Willamette Valley. The community of over 10,000 Old Believers living south of Woodburn donated many of the handicrafts, clothing, paintings and icons displayed in the museum.
For the last 40 years, the abbey has presented an annual Bach Festival in late July. On each of three evenings, the event begins with the monks singing Vespers in the Abbey Church, followed by a half hour recital played on the grand organ. Guests then move to the grassy, front lawn to enjoy a picnic supper prepared by the abbey. More concert music in the Damian Center concludes the evening. Tickets can be ordered on line, but be forewarned this event usually sells out. In the midst of the 21st century, the traditional and simple lifestyle of the monks may seem slightly archaic. Nonetheless, even monasteries maintain websites and you may visit theirs’ at http://www.mountangelabbey.org./

Clackamas County Fair

The Clackamas County Fair is on now until Sunday, Aug. 22 and it’s a wonderful opportunity to experience rural, small town Oregon within a short drive from Portland. As urban encroachments make traditional, rural lifestyle a disappearing part of the Portland area landscape, it’s great to see events like this fair thriving. If you can make it out to Canby this weekend, here are my favorite top five things to do:

5) Watch teenagers pamper pigs. Well, not just pigs, but sheep, llamas, cows, goats and roosters are looking sharp and smelling great in the livestock barns and show rings.

 

4) Take a ride. The carnival grounds are full of tummy-turning rides and others not nearly as scary as the looks on these kids’ faces would suggest.

3) Admire the talents of your artsy-craftsy neighbors. The main pavilion is stuffed with quilts, paintings, photos, knitting projects, canned beans, and doilies.

2) Tap your toes. The fair offers a wide variety of music from fiddlers to Sinatra crooners, all included in the price of admission.

 

1) Eat some pie. You might think of corn dogs and curly fries as the quintessential fair food, but check out the dozen or so pie selections offered by the Canby Methodist Church ladies. YUM!

Oh, and there is a rodeo every evening as well!

Have fun!

Celebrating Spring Flowers

Every flower has its day in the Pacific Northwest. Throughout the blooming season local festivals celebrate lilacs, peonies, dahlias, roses, and most other posies. The 2010 season kicks off this weekend with the Daffodil Festival in Junction City, Oregon. At the Long Tom Grange on daffodil-lined Ferguson Road, there will be homemade cinnamon buns, wagon rides, arts and crafts booths, and lots and lots of bright yellow flowers.

The next celebrated flower is the tulip with its wide array of intense colors. It is the harbinger of spring; a bright burst of color signifying the end of a long grey winter. With our cool, rainy climate, tulip growing has been an important agricultural commodity in the Pacific Northwest for many years, and the area offers a number of tulip festivals during March and April. Bloom time for tulips in this region can run from late February to late May depending on the variety, but most display their showy petals during April, peaking around the second week of the month.

Oregon’s largest display is east of Woodburn at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm where the 25th Annual Woodburn Tulip Festival will be in full swing from March 25 through April 25. With over 40-acres of brilliant blooming flowers, the farm enjoys a splendid setting with Mt. Hood and the foothills of the Cascade Range in view on clear days. Festival visitors can tip toe through the tulip fields, order from a selection of over 150 bulbs, and buy freshly cut tulips and daffodils. A gift shop features unique Dutch items and gardening books and accessories, and there are many kid-friendly activities for tulip lovers of all ages. Weekends offer additional attractions such as wine tastings, live music, local sausages, and arts and crafts tents.

Not to be outdone, Washington State also has its share of tulip festivals with the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, north of Seattle, drawing over one million visitors from all over the world. This event, running the entire month of April, is spread throughout Skagit County with tulip fields and farms covering a 15-mile radius. Festival events are scattered around several towns and offer something for everybody including bike and running events, street fairs, parades, art displays, quilt walks, salmon barbeques, antique markets, and wine tastings.

On a much smaller scale is the Woodland Tulip Festival, about a half hour drive north of Portland on I-5. The event takes place at the Holland America Bulb Farm owned by the Dobbe family. Benno Dobbe, along with his wife and three young children, immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands in 1980 and bought five acres of land along the Lewis River. Despite their modest beginnings, the farm now distributes millions of bulbs and cut flowers all over the world. This year’s tulip festival runs from April 3 through 30 and is similar to the event in Woodburn with tulip fields to walk through, a charming display garden with tulips and other spring-time blooms, and a gift shop offering fresh cut flowers and bulbs. On weekends, there are additional activities including live entertainment, ethnic food, crafts by local artists, and events for children.

Valentine's Day Winery Visits

Looking for something different to do on Valentine's Day? Several Oregon wineries are offering some imaginative substitutes for the typical chocolate and red wine tasting experience.

At Montinore Vineyards in Washington County you can try the dancing grape. Their Two to Tango event on  Sunday, Feb. 14 includes latin tango music and an instructor offering tango lessons on the hour from noon to four. If you have never visited Montinore, you really must. The winery is located off Highway 47 south of Forest Grove in Washington County. At the end of the oak-lined lane is a southern-style mansion where it would not be at all strange to see Miss Scarlet in her hoop skirt standing on the columned porch sipping a chilled glass of Riesling.

Built in 1905 by John Forbis, a former attorney for Anaconda Copper in Montana, the ranch was named Montinore, a contraction of Montana in Oregon. With over 585 acres producing 40,000 cases, Montinore is one of the largest Oregon wineries. Owner Rudy Marchesi combines traditional wine making with biodynamic vineyard management to produce highly regarded Pinot Noirs, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Muller Thurgau. The tasting room’s large picture windows offer an expansive view of the vineyards.

If dancing is not your thing, perhaps answering that burning question of "what wine to serve with a BLT sandwich" might be your Valentine choice. Chehalem wine tasting room in Newburg is having a We Love Bacon event pairing Pinot Gris, Chardonay and three different Pinot Noirs with bacon. The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 pm and includes live music beginning at 3 pm. Cost is $5.

Still undecided about the pig and wine? Continue on to Dundee to Sokol Blosser Winery where they are sponsoring a Pork and Pinot event pairing local pork mole sliders and a flight of Pinot Noir for $15.

Top that Napa!

View from Sokol Blosser