Sunday, July 24, 2011

ohme - oh my!!!

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the next couple of days I am going to take you to this wonderful little gem of a place nestled in the hills of wenatchee.  Ohme gardens pronounced Oh Me is a wonderful place with a great history.  isn't the little sign cute.  I thought it stood out so much from the little shady spot it sat at.

Below was taken from the websit for Ohme gardenshttp://www.ohmegardens.com/

In 1929 Herman Ohme and his bride Ruth purchased forty acres of land for an orchard. Included was a craggy, dry, desolate, rock-strewn bluff with a breathtaking view of the snow-capped Cascade Mountains and the shimmering Columbia River valley. The Ohmes loved to stand on the bluff and dream of flourishing alpine meadows, shimmering pools and shady evergreen pathways where the hot, relentless summer sun allowed only sage and scrub desert growth. They set their minds on achieving that dream.


Small evergreens were transplanted from the nearby Cascade Mountains, native stone was hauled to form paths and borders, desert sage gave way to low-growing ground cover, and pools took shape adjacent to massive natural rock formations. It was hard work, done mostly by hand, and truly a labor of love. In the beginning, sustaining the Gardens meant hauling water in five gallon buckets from the river valley below, but eventually the Ohmes constructed an elaborate irrigation system that pumped water to the site.

Initially intended as a private family retreat, the interest of friends and community members prompted the Ohmes to open the Gardens to public visitations. The Ohmes continued to perfect the Gardens for 42 years, until 1971 when Mr. Ohme died at the age of 80. The couple’s son Gordon and his family then assumed responsibility for the Gardens, and in 1991 Washington State Parks and Recreation purchased the Gardens and surrounding property; it is managed by Chelan County.

2 comments:

  1. I suddenly feel inspired to paint a rock. Oh my!

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  2. I just went through all your Ohme pictures. It reminds me of the Butchart Gardens near Victoria, BC. We went there on our honeymoon and they're just gorgeous. If ever you get a chance to go you should go. A photographers dream.

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