W hen most people think of Wenatchee, lush woodland gardens aren’t the first thing to come to mind.
But those people probably haven’t visited Ohme Gardens.
This hidden gem – perched on a rocky bluff overlooking Wenatchee – is a nature lover’s delight.
Here you can roam 9 acres of nature, crisscrossed by remarkable stone walkways and rocky outcroppings with sweeping views of the Columbia River.
While conifers preside over the gardens’ steep cliffs, carpets of little flowers ramble over more moderate meadows.
Crystal-clear ponds, waterfalls, pockets of luxuriant lawn, and more than 50 natural stone benches tucked here and there make Ohme Gardens (say O-mee) a restful place indeed.
But don’t expect a collector’s garden full of rare specimens here. You won’t find the massive flower displays typically seen at arboretums, either.
These informal alpine-style gardens are instead testaments to hard-won hardscaping.
Walking the peaceful paths here, it’s hard not to marvel at the incredible story of Herman and Ruth Ohme, whose family labored over their homestead gardens for 60 years, turning the landscape from a dry, treeless expanse into a fertile oasis.
Why not take Mom on a Mother’s Day weekend getaway to the sunny side, where temperatures seem more apt to reach into the 70s and sun is almost guaranteed?
Visiting mothers will receive a free plant for Mother’s Day at Ohme Gardens, which also sells plants that thrive in the gardens.
Spring is the perfect time to visit not only the emerging Ohme Gardens, but also the charms of sunny Wenatchee. You’ll find centrally located hotels, elegant wineries and bakeries full of tempting pastries. You can even tour an Applets and Cotlets factory in nearby Cashmere.
Ohme Gardens’ history is a humble one.
Herman Ohme started a rock garden in 1929 as a private family retreat near his home and 5-acre apple orchard. After he married Ruth Orcutt in 1930, they planned to build a house, but could not get a loan in the days of the Great Depression.
Instead, they poured themselves into their garden escape, driving to the Cascade Mountains to load up their Studebaker Coupe with young trees, ferns and shrubs. They brought in truckloads of 5-gallon dairy cans and hand watered their precious transplants, eventually developing 2 acres.
By 1939, their experiment had made news in the Wenatchee Daily World and the Ohmes agreed to open their still-growing gardens to the demanding public.
One of the Ohmes’ two sons, Gordon, eventually took over the gardens in 1953. He expanded the refuge from 4 to 9 acres and, after years of dragging hoses out every night, installed an irrigation system with 140 sprinkler heads that still poke out spontaneously from certain boulders today.
National exposure followed with stories in Life, Better Homes &Gardens and many other magazines, and the gardens have been a tourist attraction ever since.
Gordon Ohme, who suffered a terminal illness, ultimately sold the gardens to the state of Washington to keep the property open to the public.
Garden administrator Mike Short said he’s still amazed by the Ohmes’ work and artistry, especially when it came to placing boulders. Herman Ohme would roll rocks into place using a crowbar.
“I’ve been here 13 years, and I don’t get tired of it. It’s pretty mind boggling,” Short said. “I don’t know how they did it.
These days, Chelan County is in charge of the maintenance, which is done with help from supervised minimum-security inmates, who are local and specially screened for the work.
“You couldn’t pay the labor that this requires,” Short said of the painstaking path maintenance, planting and weeding. “They get paid with fresh air and a nice atmosphere.”
Though there are more than 125 varieties of plants in the gardens today, they aren’t overly showy. Herman Ohme, a native of Illinois, was never trying for a flashy flower garden, Short said.
“He wanted it patterned after the alpine lakes in the Cascades,” Short said. “It’s an adventure. You see what’s around each trail.”
In addition to a variety of native plants, blooming groundcovers such as thyme, sedum and cotoneaster dominate, with shorter flowering perennials such as dianthus, hardy geranium, phlox, armeria and lewisia adding bright splashes of color.
Short recommends visitors make multiple trips to truly experience the gardens.
“Every season has its own atmosphere and feeling. It’s hard to describe,” he said. “One visit here doesn’t capture all this is, the diversity. There are times I walk out here and go, ‘God, is this for real?’”
Reporter Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037 or sjackson@heraldnet.com.
What: This 9-acre woodland garden sits on a dramatic bluff overlooking Wenatchee and the Columbia River. Pathways and steps, quite steep in some places, have been fashioned almost entirely from rough native stone for a milelong trail that takes about 45 minutes to walk. Mothers will receive a free plant on Mother’s Day.
Where: Wenatchee near the junction of U.S. 2 and U.S. 97A.
When: April 15 through October 15, seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, the gardens are open until 7 p.m.
Admission: $7 for adults; $3.50 for ages 6 to 17.
Information: See www.ohmegardens.com or call 509-662-5785.
What to wear: Sturdy walking or athletic shoes are advised; leather-soled and high-heeled shoes are not. Wheelchairs and strollers are not allowed in the gardens.
Wine gala: Columbia River Wine Country will present an evening of local wines, gourmet cuisine and live jazz at Ohme Gardens from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 28. Tickets are $130 per couple. See www.columbiariverwine.com.
Plan a trip: Find places to stay and learn more about Wenatchee at www.wenatchee valley.org or call the visitors bureau at 800-572-7753.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
