Bestow the Fragrance

Lilac Common Purple

Lilac Common White

Lilac tree "James Macfarland"

Lilac "Sensation"

Seriously, have you ever smelled anything that filled your house with a more lovely fragrance than lilacs? I have a bouquet in my home and can smell it two rooms away.

I have several different kinds and the most fragrant is the old fashioned, Common Purple Syringa Vulgaris.

The Common Purple can be seen on the lots of most old homes in the Midwest. Growing to about 10 ft and spreading by suckers. A deciduous shrub, it survives routinely to minus 35 degrees. It does not survive where there is no significant frost in the wintertime. We may not have oceans and beaches up here but we do have the most wonderful fragrant lilacs in the world!

Another old lilac is white and has a faintly spicy sweet smell. It's called Syringa vulgaris Common White or "Alba". The Common White wilts quickly when picked.

Among the hybrids, the French lilac Syringa vulgaris "Sensation" is a best seller. Purple with white edges and little fragrance, it is best known for it's pretty looks. It keeps well when picked. I have another lilac "James Macfarland" that is pink, blooms late, and has very faint fragrance. It is dainty and sweet.

My children gave a tree lilac to me a few Mother's Day's ago. Called Syringa reticulata Japanese Tree Lilac "Prince Charming", it blooms late and certainly looks like a tree. The blooms are lilac/pink and the individual flowers are small. The fragrance is lightly sweet. It has done quite well and is covered with lilacs every year. This tree does not require trimming and makes a good specimen plant.

Other than acquiring the common version, you may want to buy only hybrid that have resistance to mildew (common amoung lilacs). If you choose to plant those without that caveat, it is sometimes best to plant lilacs where they will be background green the rest of the year and not where they will be seen up close. The mildew doesn't kill the plant; only makes it unsightly.

Lilac bushes can be trimmed to return them to a full bushy look by trimming one-third down to about 5 inches every year for the three years. The thirds insures you will continue to have blossoms every year until trimming cycle is completed. If you trim the entire bush down (do not trim tree lilacs down), it will not kill them but you will not have blooms for another two years because they bloom on the previous year's stems.

Pick bouquets every day that the lilacs bloom and let them beautify and infuse the entire home with their one-of-a-kind fragrance.

“Flowers leave some of their fragrance in the hand that bestows them.”

Chinese proverb

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Advice says to hammer the cut stems of lilacs before putting in water. This helps them absorb water.

Gardeners who can no longer garden usually enjoy a gift of flowers from your garden. It allows them to enjoy the fruits of your labors and brings memories of times past. Put the lilacs in a an old mayonnaise jar, wrap with a pretty ribbon and brighten their day.