Lilacs

Discussion in 'Crops & Gardens' started by Ken Anderson, Apr 9, 2016.

  1. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I think that lilacs do particularly well in cold-weather areas but there are several varieties of lilacs, and I know I've seen them growing in warm-weather states as well. Lilacs are soothing to me, probably because we had a large hedge made of lilac bushes that extended all along our front yard, separating it from what we called the side yard, despite the fact that they were both on the same side of the house. I have always loved the scent of lilacs, and I'm sure that it has to do with these early memories. Pretty much every Swedish family has a lilac, the original stemming from a sprig of lilac that was brought with them when they came to this country. The lilacs were so thick that, as a very young child, I would have a tunnel that led the length of the hedge, down the middle of it. I'd like to see my other lilacs growing as well, and producing their own flowers. I know that I have a few varieties of lilacs but I'm not sure that that one is even a lilac.
     
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  2. Amie Ar

    Amie Ar Veteran Member
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    lovelies! I love their colors!
     
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  3. K E Gordon

    K E Gordon Veteran Member
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    I love the beautiful lilac color. That would be a a beautiful bush to plant for sure. I am not sure it would do very well here though. I think most people in this area tend to plant cammelias. which are really beautiful as well. I love the color of lilac's but I am not too crazy about the lilac scent. It just smells too floral to me. I prefer other scents.
     
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  4. Amie Ar

    Amie Ar Veteran Member
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    The color itself was really so calming. I have not smelt lilacs recently. Not much lilacs in my area. I just smell them on some perfumes but am not fond also about its scent. I like fruity scents more than flowers.
     
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  5. Texas Beth

    Texas Beth Veteran Member
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    No lilacs in my area either. There are so many flowers I would like to grow that only seem to do well in northern states.
     
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  6. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I love the smell of lilacs. It only blooms for a short time each summer, but I can smell it from eight feet away.
     
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  7. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
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    "Lynn Riggs wrote a dramatic play named "Green Grow the Lilacs." Its 1931 stage production was a flop, but when renamed and reworked as a musical, it was a huge success, running 5+ years on Broadway. The musical was made into a movie in 1955--"Oklahoma!" starring Gordon MacRae".
     
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  8. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    The house in Idaho where I grew up had a hedge of lilacs all along the front fence by the roadway. They were the old-fashioned lilac and they slowly spread each year. My mom loved the lilacs, and sometimes she would give away starts to neighbors and friends who also wanted to grow lilacs.
    I also LOVE the scent of lilacs, and to me they will always be intertwined with memories of my mother, and cutting fresh bouquets of lilacs for the front room of our house almost every day when they were in bloom.

    I have a small lilac planted in front of our house. So far, it has not blossomed; but i just got it last fall so it might bloom next spring.
    I am hoping that it does.
    One of my most favorite singers is Harry Belafonte, and one of my favorite songs that he sings is called "Green Grow the Lilacs".
    Some of you may remember this song, too......

     
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  9. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    I just saw this post, lilacs were my husband's absolute favorite flower, I like them too. One of the more fragrant flowers, except for maybe jasmine. I would always have a vaseful anywhere I lived that we had lilacs.

    I like the white ones too but think the have a stronger scent and are fuller but that could just depend on the particular bush.
     
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  10. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
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    We had huge lilac bushes that were more like trees, which I cut down and dug out. (Very few blooms, very high up.) But I tried to cut some and put in a vase, when in bloom.
    IMG_4146.JPG
     
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    Last edited: Jun 20, 2016
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  11. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    I wish I had some now! That's what I need....some flowers, maybe tomorrow I'll treat myself to a bunch from Trader Joe's. They won't be lilacs but they'll cheer me up. :)
     
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  12. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Here's a plant that was sold to me a few years ago as a bare root lilac, so I planted it near my other lilacs but it doesn't look like a lilac. I mentioned it in some of my earlier posts. I have one large lilac and five small ones but only the large one has flowered so far. The large one was planted about twenty years ago while the others are only a few years old, so I'm not concerned about their having not flowered yet but the leaves of this one don't look like a lilac to me. Does anyone know what it might be?

    2020-08-10 17.53.24.jpg 2020-08-10 17.53.36.jpg

    Notice the difference between the plant above and the lilac plant below.

    2020-08-10 17.53.58.jpg
     
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  13. Betty Jones

    Betty Jones Veteran Member
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    i grew up in lowell mass.and there were a lot of lilac trees---one year it even snowed on them[
     
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  14. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Veteran Member
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    We had a beautiful lilac bush in Ohio. I have one here in Georgia, but it is too hot for them. It survives, but just barely, and never blooms. :(
     
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  15. Mary Miller

    Mary Miller Very Well-Known Member
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    Maybe a weigelia? (sp)
     
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