Laughing Goat Botanical Gardens

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.

At some point, normal activities must resume, and the Tomatoes wait for no one in September. Today's task is all about h...
09/07/2026

At some point, normal activities must resume, and the Tomatoes wait for no one in September.

Today's task is all about harvesting the bounty, and commencing the preserving process.

Tomatoes get a 3-prong attack: Cherries get roasted off for tomato jam that goes in the freezer, all others get stewed and canned, or frozen whole for soups later on. Often, I will make some specialty recipes like salsas, or try a new recipe, but this year looks a little bit different, so I'm just aiming for the basics.

We aren't close to a frost yet, so there is no last ditch efforts to save tomatoes on the vine before they freeze and we lose them just yet, but it's not too late to try your hand at fried green tomatoes (I hear they're delicious) or tomato pie/tarte however you like to bake in your house.

As the days start to get noticeably shorter, and we approach Fall Equinox (September 22) when the days and nights are the same length (or as close as they get) the nights are noticeably getting cooler, and production on your summer vegetables will slow down.

Never fear, the peas, beans, lettuces, radishes, cabbages and all the cool weather crops are going to shine like the cold loving stars they are and the meals in your kitchen should shift alongside them. I like to wait until it's a bit colder to harvest things like carrots, beets, and even cabbage, as there is nothing sweeter than a vegetable that moves all its carbohydrates into the main parts for protection for giving you all the nutrition and flavor on your plate. Yum.

“Although I love flowers very much, I won’t see them when I’m gone. So in lieu of flowers: Buy a book of poetry written...
09/06/2026

“Although I love flowers very much, I won’t see them when I’m gone. So in lieu of flowers: Buy a book of poetry written by someone still alive, sit outside with a cup of tea, a glass of wine, and read it out loud, by yourself or to someone, or silently.
Spend some time with a single flower. A rose maybe. Smell it, touch the petals.
Really look at it.
Drink a nice bottle of wine with someone you love.
Or, Champagne. And think of what John Maynard Keynes said, “My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne.” Or what Dom Perignon said when he first tasted the stuff: “Come quickly! I am tasting stars!”
Take out a paint set and lay down some colours.
Watch birds. Common sparrows are fine. Pigeons, too. Geese are nice. Robins.
In lieu of flowers, walk in the trees and watch the light fall into it. Eat an apple, a really nice big one. I hope it’s crisp.
Have a long soak in the bathtub with candles, maybe some rose petals.
Sit on the front stoop and watch the clouds. Have a dish of strawberry ice cream in my name.
If it’s winter, have a cup of hot chocolate outside for me. If it’s summer, a big glass of ice water.
If it’s autumn, collect some leaves and press them in a book you love. I’d like that.
Sit and look out a window and write down what you see. Write some other things down.
In lieu of flowers,
I would wish for you to flower.
I would wish for you to blossom, to open, to be beautiful.”
In Lieu of Flowers By Shawna LeMay

Thank you for the almost 52 years of being our Pop.
Rest In Peace.

These simple things are gifting me soft and quiet moments of joy; gentle reminders that amidst whatever is going on, the...
09/03/2026

These simple things are gifting me soft and quiet moments of joy; gentle reminders that amidst whatever is going on, there is still much to be grateful for.

I haven't forgotten about you.

I haven't forgotten about the Perennial Walk, and I will be reaching out to you soon. This week is about Family, and prioritizing our Dad's Memorial Service, so my apologies that I haven't reached back out. I promise, I haven't forgotten.

We are still hosting our Container Planting Class on September 19, which is right after my Birthday. Do join us, there are still a few spaces left.

In the meantime, celebrate life's wins, big and/or small, and everything in between. Here are a few of mine.

It's an incredibly busy and tough week on our end, so I'm hunkering down and getting ready to put my head down and get t...
08/31/2026

It's an incredibly busy and tough week on our end, so I'm hunkering down and getting ready to put my head down and get to work.

I did manage to get a bit of work done in the Gardens yesterday, it was nice to keep my hands busy and my brain slightly occupied, though it seems to have a mind of it's own as to where my thoughts go these days. Thankfully, grief does manage to allow sleep, and I am grateful for that.

I've been thinking quite a bit about grief, and managing new realities shifted, and what that looks like. I'm certain it is different for every single person, but I did want to offer some thoughts on how to support loved ones when they are navigating something like this. Words can often feel empty, and do not mitigate pain and loss, but are still very meaningful when well-intentioned and focused. I have been much buoyed by the kind words and wisdom of those that share here on this page, and I thank each one of you.

Do's:
Bring meals. Don't ask. Just do it. Do not make the intended think about what they want, they likely don't know, and will almost certainly say they don't need anything. And they may not, right away. Appetite is a funny thing. Soups are great, as they can go in the freezer. Just remember: it's the thought that counts, you don't need to be a gourmet chef to show you care and are thinking about someone.

Offer to water their plants. Oof. If you have a Garden friend going through troubling times, that is the easiest way to ease some of their stress and anxiety.

Feed their pets/take dogs for a walk. Navigating the care of all animals while our dad was in the hospital was like conducting a full blown orchestra, with many moving parts, and someone always had to step away during times we wanted to be present.

Take them out for coffee/tea, when they are ready.

Send a card. Yeah, it's old-fashioned and hardly anyone does it anymore, but it's meaningful to put your pen to paper and let them know you are thinking about them. I promise it will be well-received and appreciated.

Take something, anything off their hands. Show up and just offer to help, without question, whatever they are doing, and going through. That may be sitting quietly, holding their hand. It may be loading up your vehicle and taking a load to donate or to the dump. It likely looks different for everyone. But show up. Loss feels lonely, and empty at times, and often folks don't know what to do, so they don't do anything at all.

Be Kind. Above all else, always Be Kind.

Don'ts:
Make more work for them by asking what you can do for them.

Talk about your own suffering. I still cannot believe people from my dad's church showed up and talked about their own aches, ailments, pains and suffering while he was dying. We actually laughed about it, because it was so incredibly insensitive and insufferable. It's not a touch point of connection always, even when you think it is. This is not a time for playing a game of one-upmanship.

Expect an immediate response. People may need time to sit, they are incredibly distracted, and they may not be able to get back to you right away. Make space and have grace.

Disappear. Gosh, someone just lost someone they loved, and it's very common for everyone to stop showing up after the hospital bed is cold, and the dust has settled on death. I get it. It's uncomfortable to be with someone in their grief. But what a beautiful time to hold someone during a difficult and shifting time.

Sorry for such a heavy post, but it's actively been weighing on my mind, and I need to clear up space in my head for cooking, baking, family time, making a slide show, and holding my first Board Meeting as President. Like I said, this week is a doozy, so here are a few snapshots I took of the planters Steve and I filmed in the Gardens a few months back.

Happy Monday to you, and I'll touch down again once I'm ready. Fall newsletter is on hold indeterminately as well.

08/30/2026

Wise words, and a great philosophy to live by.

Love what you do.
Live what you Love.

And you shall be Rich in all the ways that matter.

Some people write love letters. Some people just cook you dinner. We've turned cooking into a chore. A mundane thing, a ...
08/30/2026

Some people write love letters.

Some people just cook you dinner.

We've turned cooking into a chore. A mundane thing, a mandatory thing in the daily to-do list, something you do when you're tired...

But somewhere along the way we forgot - cooking for someone is one of the last honest things left.

Cooking for someone was never about the food. It was always the act - a person choosing, out of everything they could've done with their time, to stand there and make something for you.

That's it. That's the whole love language.

Food just happened to be the alphabet.

Excerpts from Instagram post by Rohit Srivastav

I would dare say, that cooking is always about the food - the nourishing, healing, comforting qualities of food that both sustain life and offer a connection point and through line. Food doesn't have to be complicated to be delicious, and to be special.

One of the best meals Steve and I ever ate together was early on in our relationship, standing over a folding table holding a roasting pan full of beef bourguignon left on over night, meat simmered down to melt in your mouth goodness, sauce condensed into the richest version of itself. We grabbed plastic spoons, and giggled as we ate every last bite of leftovers, and we still talk about that meal.

What is one of your most memorable meals with loved ones?

Here are a few photos from some quiet moments working in the Gardens this past week. I hope you too, are finding solace ...
08/29/2026

Here are a few photos from some quiet moments working in the Gardens this past week.

I hope you too, are finding solace and comfort in the beauty that surrounds you, and I am enjoying the contemplation of hearing the rainfall today.

Happy Saturday to you.

08/26/2026

Beloved by all, may we all live our lives in a way that we leave a lasting and beautiful legacy by all we touch in some way or another. We may not have the reach or sheer star power and charisma of Dolly Parton, but we can still emulate her graciousness, her generosity, and her zest for life. What a gal.

My favorite thing Dolly did was her Imagination Library, providing free books to children all over, in honor of her father, who was both poor and illiterate. What a gift.

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43017 212th Avenue SE
Enumclaw, WA
98022

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