A Visit to Alm Hill Gardens
On Wednesday I travelled north (just shy of the Canadian border) for a father/daughter field trip arranged by Erin to visit Gretchen, a magical, woodland sprite who is in full tilt harvest mode at Alm Hill Gardens just now. Lilacs and Peonies, organically grown; these were the kinds of floral magic she had on the menu this week. Flowers you can bury your nose in without worrying for the health of your unborn children. Flowers your children can bury their noses in without exposure to anything but heady perfume, soft, tip-of-the-nose caresses and richly colored visual delights. Olfactory ambrosia. Lilacs and magentas, purples and snow-whites. Ohh the scent of it. Utter floral heaven!
Spending time with this energetic woman in her isolated farm setting was simply . . . lyrical.
And though her farm is not really open to the public, her flowers certainly are. Look for Alm Hill’s incredibly fresh, locally-grown flowers for sale at Pike Place Market and neighborhood farmer’s markets (like West Seattle), in season, and take home some of her sustainably grown magic with you.
Thank you Gretchen, . . . and Namasté.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Text and images © 2008, David E. Perry. All rights reserved.
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Below and right: I had never seen white-edged ‘Sensation’ lilacs before visiting Gretchen’s farm the other day. And though according to her, they have proven somewhat less hardy and thus more difficult to grow than other varieties, they are also unmatched in their unique beauty. (They are incredibly fragrant as well.) All I can say about them is ‘WOW!’
Above: How the pro’s do it.
Ever watch your cut lilacs wilt and/or refuse to open. Well I have. So of course I watched with eagle eyes and asked lots of questions as Gretchen made ready her newly cut lilacs for market. Before they go into the water-filled buckets and then into the cooler she trims and preps them efficiently, but carefully. Here’s what the ends of her stems look like when she’s done with them. Once cut, she slices part way through each stem and then twists her clippers to break open and tear the end of it, giving each stem far more surface area through which to drink in water, helping keep it well hydrated. I’ve tried smashing the ends with a hammer, and sometimes just slice into the end of the stem lengthwise with my clippers, but honestly, to somewhat uneven results. Gretchen also says that cutting lilacs too early, before the flowers are about a third opened on any stem will risk their not opening further.
Who knew?
