Ringing in the Year
Introducing Laura Belle & Bellflower
Bellflower (Campanula) This bell shaped beauty boasts enchanting clusters of cottage flowers. The perfect fit to tuck into perennial beds or bouquets. My favorite variety is the sweet Bluebell bellflower. Not only does the bellflower attract pollinators like bees & butterflies, but it also holds the symbolism of gratitude & everlasting love.
Clear as a bell are my childhood memories of Great Grandma’s home & gardens. On Saturdays, my dad would stop by to mow the lawn. That task had become difficult for Laura Belle, but she was determined to continue living in her cottage on 39th Street. A double lot—it was also home to a stand-alone garage and greenhouse. It was a magical place to explore—
The cottage gardens with Rhododendrons large enough to play house under and a manicured path of grass leading to the rose arbor clamoring with an old fashioned red rose (pretending to marry underneath). The specimen Blue Spruce that stood guard next to the driveway. And a greenhouse with decades of pots, watering cans & the occasional discovered creature.
Inside the house—a tall flour bin under the kitchen counter with red bakelite handles (the perfect hiding spot for a young great granddaughter), rows of canned fruits & vegetables leading down to the cellar, the grandfather clock ticking on the mantle in the cozy living room, the player piano at the ready. In the bathroom—the pedestal sink Laura stood in front of each Sunday morning when we picked her up for church. Her wavy grey hair reached nearly to her knees. She had never cut it, only trimmed, and worked each morning to pin it up in a tidy bun. She always finished with a rhinestone studded comb to keep the wisps in check. “Grandma we are here,” I would announce upon entering. “Land sakes alive, child. You startled me,” she would reply.
Laura Belle Livingston was born in Nebraska in 1885. At the age of 25 she married Roy and they eventually settled on a farm in Brush Prairie during the depression. A lover of plants Laura always had a generous vegetable garden along with apple & cherry trees. Then in 1940 Laura & Roy moved their family to their Vancouver home at 412 W. 39th Street. In 1942, they opened a nursery called Highland Florist, which she ran for 15 years. Grandma continued to rise early her entire life, cutting seasonal flowers to create the pulpit bouquet at church. Gladiola, Calla lilies, flowering branches, fern, holly— whatever had been gathered from the garden. Grandma’s independent streak has always spoken to me, as she continued to live alone in her cottage until the age of 94. Passing at an extraordinary 95 years young. “Old cloddy is a comin’”, Laura would say.
Ringing the bell to a new year, I reflect on my own clear chime. Belle Flower Farm is our home and business now. What began as pasture land—there was room for dreams to ring true. Giving our property a proper name was part of the plan for our homestead, which we broke ground for in 2000. Always open to a good play on words—my thought quickly settled on Belle Flower Farm. Creating our own bell choir of memories the hammer continues to strike with a song rooted in childhood observations, raising our family and of creating a home, gardens & business.
Belle Flower Farm—a place of gratitude & everlasting love.
