Field of Dreams: Lilacs Draw Tourists To Rockville Property

(KNSI) — A local lilac labyrinth off County Road 2 in Rockville is attracting thousands of visitors for a fragrant frolic.

Owner Mike Nistler first planted his tightly woven maze of lilac bushes 19 years ago, and the public was allowed a peek starting in 2022. Nistler says he lucked into a distinctive design for his “Garden of Eden.”

“I planted ’em all with the idea of just making a big circle, or a big oval basically, and wrapping it around and around, going to the center. A nun stopped by from St. Ben’s one day. We went walking, and she said, ‘Mike, you have a labyrinth here.'”

Grant Dossetto/KNSI News

The garden is part of what Nistler calls the Boomerville Lodge. Nistler is planning a private club and outdoor wedding space, but for now, the public only shows up in the spring when the lilacs are in bloom. If Mother Nature cooperates, he hopes to stay open through Memorial Day.

As the Boomerville name would suggest, Nistler does things more traditionally. He personally greets every car that pulls in. He sat down with KNSI News Sunday afternoon near the entrance to his 6.5-acre complex to talk about how the gorgeous plants have changed since he first planted them in 2005.

“The county was selling them in bunches of twenty. If I remember right, they were called a common lilac. They were all the same color, but now, after the 19 years, they’re morphing into white and different shades. Somebody said maybe it’s from the bees cross-pollinating that they’re changing colors.”

Grant Dossetto/KNSI News

Nistler says Boomerville Lodge’s goal is to bridge the divide in this country. He says that no matter where you fall on a particular political or cultural issue, we have a lot more in common than we do differences.

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