Monday, May 7, 2012

Lilac Time


Lilac Time

Years ago we planted a lilac shrub in front of our house. It slowly grew each summer and put out lovely pale purple blossoms. Now it is large, full and bushy, with a scent that envelops us as we open our front door. The bush is thriving and expanding; we will need to prune it back – again – after the flowering season.

We also planted a lilac bush in our backyard. It was a different variety with darker flowers and a more delicate scent. It grew tall and leggy and did not do as well. The trees that were growing up at the same time provided too much shade for this sun-loving plant. So we dug it up and replanted it in a sunnier location. For two years it reluctantly put out leaves, no flowers, and half of it stopped growing at all. It looked so fragile, almost pathetic. This year, much to our surprise, it bloomed with such incredible vigor on one side that we staked it and each day look out in wonder at the rejuvenation of this beauty, in awe of its will to live.

Two bushes, very different personalities, same family (Syringa vulgaris).  One had an optimal growth situation, the other was forced to deal with a challenge. Yet they both found a way to express themselves in relation to their circumstances. And we love them both.

That’s the joy of diversity. There’s something to admire in every expression of life.

Lilacs can enhance any garden:

4 comments:

  1. Ferida,

    What a cute essay about your lilacs. I love lilacs--they smell so good!

    Barbara

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    1. Their scent is something that cannot be ignored, for sure. Lilacs have personality!

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  2. Our lilac bush was severely overgrown so two years ago my husband and I took the pruning shears to it drastically and at the wrong time. As expected, the following year, we had very few blooms, but wow, this year was wonderful. The moral of the story: most plants love to be pruned and shaped even though it may hurt you to do it.

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    1. It does feel uncomfortable to trim back plants. I always worry about them. But you're right, they mostly appreciate the care, even if it takes a season to recoup. Glad to hear that your lilac responded so vibrantly.

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