Laughing Goat Botanical Gardens

Directions Website

Laughing Goat Botanical Gardens Building our dream garden, one day at a time. We hope to inspire, educate and delight your senses through education, in beautiful spaces. A. Q. Yes, soon.

A former dairy farm getting a facelift into European-inspired Botanical Gardens for use as a private garden venue for life’s celebrations—bespoke events, weddings, workshops, and educational experiences that unite gardeners and garden lovers alike. On our private, 10-acre now-converted dairy-farm, we use sustainable growing practices to grow better-than-organic plants, flowers, vegetables, herbs, fruit and seed for our community at large. We believe everyone should have access to beautiful spaces, and seek to create a unique, destination event and pleasure garden. Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Can we visit your farm and tour your gardens? We are currently not opening our gardens for visitors during this phase of implementing our new gardens, outside of private events or hosted events put on by us. Please see our website and newsletter for upcoming events and activities. When do your flowers bloom? We specialize in peonies, dahlias, perennials, and annuals; along with specimen trees and shrubs that add interest to the garden. Our goal is to create year-round interest in our gardens, but the best time to see things in bloom is Spring - Fall. We have no control over when plants bloom, and so cannot with any specificity tell you when a peony or dahlia blooms, as it is climate and weather dependent. We try to update our social media with happenings, but can never guarantee that a specific plant or variety will be in bloom when you visit us. We truly hope you enjoy what is blooming, and realize that the fleeting nature of a plant's exact bloom time is special and unique. Why do you charge to walk around your gardens? The fee to enter our gardens is a nominal one, and frankly, it is to foster mutual respect for the work we are doing here. We trust you see the value of our vision, and our wanting to share this, thus we need to charge to cover the expenses of allowing the general public on to our property, not the least of which is paying our employees a living wage. We are not funded by grants, subsidies, or any government agencies. It is not inexpensive to do this type of work, and most, if not all, public & private gardens charge a fee. Can I host an event, or get married at Laughing Goat Flower Farm? We are working on developing our multiple sites on the property, which will be able to host different size groups for weddings, memorial services, birthday parties, corporate events, bridal showers, baby showers, family reunions, you name it. We would love to be a part of your special day, and will announce as soon as we are ready to start scheduling. Can we bring our pet? We are sorry, but it has not been a good experience for our resident farm animals and pets to have new and unfamiliar animals in their space. We do ask that you leave your pets at home, for the safety and comfort of farm animals, as well as all of our visiting guests and employees. Where do you sell your flowers? Right here. What we grow on site is available exclusively in our Garden Shop, to our customers. We are not currently shipping our flowers off the farm, and we do not sell any flowers we do not ourselves grow. We love your support, as we are hoping to inspire and educate on what seasonal blooms and product are, that are grown as healthfully as possible. Do you sell your plants? We are a certified nursery in the state of Washington. As such, we sell plants that we grow on property, as well as some from our trusted grower partners. We do not sell our peony plants that are in the ground, but can order in roots. We are taking a break from selling dahlia tubers. If there is a specific plant you are looking for, please let us know, and we will be happy to grow it for you (if we can) or try to find it for you.

This morning's Perennial walk is shaping up to be a brisk time in the Garden - so make sure you bundle up all!As all eve...
10/17/2026

This morning's Perennial walk is shaping up to be a brisk time in the Garden - so make sure you bundle up all!

As all events are, this one is ticketed, and the Gardens are open to our Guests after the Walk is over, so that you may peruse to your heart's content.

I'm looking forward to seeing people in the Garden again, and talking all things Plants and Perennials.

Yesterday was a bit of a set-back time wise, with a scheduled vet visit in the morning (cat) to an unscheduled, emergency vet visit in the evening (pig). Cat is doing well, Pig has an upper respiratory infection. She's also a senior Pig. Not my favorite things to have to handle, but one must take care of one's animals.

However, I did manage to tuck in some leaf celery, and seed arugula, parsley, dill and cilantro, to have some herbs and greens to tide us over into winter. The Garden clean-up is underway, but there are a few holdouts that can withstand the cooler temps. Hopefully, you've got your winter hardy brassicas, chard, carrots, and beets in, as they are absolutely the most delicious Fall-Winter. Especially carrots and beets - holy sweetness perfection! Snow peas can handle some frosts and colder temps as well.

For some people, this is their favorite time of year to Garden, and others head indoors to wait out the cold and dark next to a fire. Tea and book recs, anyone?

Are you a fair weather Gardener, a cool temps Gardener, or do you absolutely only love Gardening in the sun and heat? Inquiring minds are dying to know...

I'm off to prep - Toodles all!

I have begun my annual seed hunt, and procurement in the quest for next year's Garden bounty. Whether you seed herbs, fl...
10/16/2026

I have begun my annual seed hunt, and procurement in the quest for next year's Garden bounty.

Whether you seed herbs, flowers, vegetables, fruit, some or all of the above, it's a great time to start gathering and collecting. From seed producers, from your own Gardens, however you seed, It is time.

I'll spend much time discussing seeds, seeding, start times, best practices, and more, in our Gardener's Gathering. There is still room, especially in the weekend option, which is meeting Saturday, October 24th at 2:00pm for the first time. All of your burning questions, how-tos, and more, will be up for grabs, as we work together through a season of Gardening. I'll even share recipes and tips for using up what you grow in the kitchen, and in the home. The annual rate is almost half the cost of what a drop-in class will be, so now is the time to act!

Such a beautiful park to visit, and well worth walking through to admire the Fall Colors.
10/15/2026

Such a beautiful park to visit, and well worth walking through to admire the Fall Colors.

Another busy day, in the books!Steve and I both had morning appointments and errands that pulled us away, so we really o...
10/15/2026

Another busy day, in the books!

Steve and I both had morning appointments and errands that pulled us away, so we really only had the afternoon to soak in the glorious Fall sunshine.

After admiring Steve's wisteria work on the new Bridge, we (I) decided a bit more pruning on the wisteria would be judicious, in which I cut off some of his work. A very robust discussion ensued, where I explained that the branches coming from the base, which are always quite vigorous, are the worst to use to trellis, and are potentially suckers from rootstock, and cause a lot of congestion at the base of the plant. I then found many suckers that were spreading out from the roots all over, some had even started to root in. So I quickly dispatched of those as well.

This led to my pruning of the Cotinus across the Bridge, then a bit of light pruning on the Oak tree by the Wisteria. Some plants are easier to see the dead wood for cutting off when the tree is still growing, so you don't cut off next year's growth points.

As you can see, the area is lending itself to many photo opportunities.

Enjoy the birdsong as the Geese migration is actively underway, and is one of my favorite times in the Garden.

It was time to tag the dahlias I've been neglecting, and when I say neglecting, I just mean enjoying them being on the p...
10/14/2026

It was time to tag the dahlias I've been neglecting, and when I say neglecting, I just mean enjoying them being on the plant rather than going through all the razzle dazzle of cutting and conditioning them. They were also planted a bit later, so the plants lagged behind this year, much like me.

I've got some new friends to the Dahlia Party, and I quite like them. So, I tagged, I did some cuts, and I made an arrangement to take over to a new friend's house for a potluck gathering of self-proclaimed Garden nerds. I only say that because more than one referenced themselves as such. They can be nerds if they like.

I took over a recipe a Polish friend gave me, of sautéed cabbage and onions (in butter of course) mixed into egg noodles. It's not the prettiest dish, but it is quite good, and a great way to use up any amount of cabbage you have hanging around. Oh, and the cabbage I cut from the Garden was an absolute beast of a unit. I wish I had taken a photo of the monster.

We did get our ducks installed at the pond, as they'd been sitting in our Garage since they landed years ago from the artist we bought them from in England. When we visited Kew Gardens there was an art fair going on, and it was so fun to visit the vendors, and get a few treasures for back home.

Another busy day ahead, if you have a ticket for Saturday's Garden Walk, I will see you soon!

Yesterday was Nest day in the Gardens. Steve and I work tirelessly on tasks until they are done. He, with tying up the A...
10/13/2026

Yesterday was Nest day in the Gardens.

Steve and I work tirelessly on tasks until they are done. He, with tying up the Arbor grapevines so they are presentable before Saturday, and also for Winter, and myself in the English Garden tucking in plants. I've only got 1.5 crates, and a few odds and ends, left for right now. I may do another big order before the Big Sleep (Winter) when I don't do much planting.

Please stop reading if you are squeamish, but those translucent eggs are slug eggs. The not-native kind. The kind y'all complain about in your Gardens. The kind I dispatch of when I find. Sorry not sorry.

The other is a nest made by a rodent, likely a field mouse, and mama mouse used up all the bits of our landscape flags marking plant spots to build her nest, along with grass roots. She did me a solid pulling those grass roots out. The nest was quite finely constructed, and soft.

Steve's nest was songbird of some sorts, and I'm glad to see it tucked up high on the Arbor. They don't typically reuse them season after season, but we leave them in the event another finds them and wants to rehome, or reuse materials. I find them rather charming.

Today, I'm planning to tag all the dahlias in the Cutting Garden, in preparation for digging and dividing for winter storage. I'm deciding which ones will reside in the English Garden moving forward. Some really beautiful varietals to choose from. Not a bad problem to have.

Oh, and a few of you have reached out about visiting the Gardens, via our website form, and I tried to email back, but it appears I was given an incorrect email. So, I'm sorry, I tried, but there is absolutely no way I have to get hold of you.

I can't get over how stunning this Fall has been - such glorious weather, the colors, the sunsets, the perfect days for ...
10/12/2026

I can't get over how stunning this Fall has been - such glorious weather, the colors, the sunsets, the perfect days for working outside. If this isn't the sign you need to plant trees and shrubs for Fall interest, I don't know what is. Oh, and the maple tree photos here? That's all one singular tree. Woof.

Steve worked in the Wisteria Arbor, tying up the shoots to increase our canopy, while I planted Martagon lilies in the English Garden. And if you are now telling yourself "I forgot to order them!" it's not too late, you still can, and you can plant them into November. I have before, and it will be just fine.

Dinner was a new recipe from an older cookbook, in which my favorite kale salad resides, so I made both. The chipotle shrimp, and the best kale salad. We so enjoy our quiet evenings at home with the animals, sharing a meal that I make from all fresh and whole ingredients. It still just baffles me that we can't find a place to eat out that has the same standards we do. It's not rocket science, and I'm not a chef, but Steve says our home is the best restaurant.

I started cleaning up the Greenhouse yesterday, and my goodness, was it disgusting. I swear that Tradescantia would take...
10/11/2026

I started cleaning up the Greenhouse yesterday, and my goodness, was it disgusting. I swear that Tradescantia would take over if I let it. So, I did my annual removal of over half it's mass, and when I tell you this would be the perfect houseplant for the forgetful owner: these plants, which are massive at this point, were not watered even once all Spring-Summer. If that's not a ringing endorsement for why this plant is so incredibly low-maintenance, I don't know what is.

I also, ahem, got rid of the evidence of my lack of watering (remember: tough year) aka dead plants, and murmered over the babes that hung in there with me. They are the real heroes. I actually can't believe anything survived in there at all.

L'il Snow joined me by the Apple trees, where I started picking up the fallen apples, and picking the good ones to make applesauce. I'm going to try my hand at an applesauce cake with a crunchy crumbly topping (the best kind) that I found in a cookbook. Homemade applesauce, of course. There's nothing like a perfectly crisp apple fresh off the tree, on a beautiful Fall Day.

I'm bound and determined to find a way to eat sweet potatoes. They just aren't my favorite, but I know they are so good for you, and Steve loves them. Trying a new recipe for sweet potato fries, and I found a keeper!

Speaking of trying new things, I got my Alice Waters books to start diving into her recipes and philosophy in the kitchen. I got to eat at Chez Panisse (once, it's really tough to get into) and it was a seminal experience. Have any of you ever been?

And on the subject of food, I was inspired to get some beautiful kale to make my favorite salad, which I will be sharing with my Gardener's Gathering group, which are actively filling up, so if you haven't secured your spot, it's time to do so. We are inching closer to our first meeting.

My body is sore in all the best ways that these active Fall days of planting, cleaning, weeding, hauling, and moving things around provides. Wishing you a happy Sunday!

In the absence of traveling, we can fly into these scenes with our eyes. Drink in the colors. Bathe in the beauty. Relax...
10/10/2026

In the absence of traveling, we can fly into these scenes with our eyes. Drink in the colors. Bathe in the beauty. Relax in the revelry of Fall - it is nature's last hurrah before the Big Sleep.

We are gearing up for our Gardener's Gathering, setting aside times to meet towards the end of the month. We have 2 opti...
10/10/2026

We are gearing up for our Gardener's Gathering, setting aside times to meet towards the end of the month.

We have 2 options, and have space in both - don't you want a seat at the table? One is Week Day, and we will be meeting Thursdays at 10am, and the other is Saturday's, also likely at 10am.

These Gatherings are facilitated by myself, with room for sharing around the table. Topics will cover all things Garden-related, around seasonal tasks, jobs, planting, tips, tricks, and more.

I have even created a private Facebook group for all members who enroll, which will include special articles, write-ups, and more, only available to those who sign up now.

We may have space for drop-ins on a monthly basis, but drop-in doesn't give you the annual discounted rate, plus the access to the private group here. Just something to consider.

If you are interested, let me know. Let's Garden together!

Address

43007 212th Avenue SE
Enumclaw, WA
98022

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Laughing Goat Botanical Gardens posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category