Friday Flowers | Lilacs

I've been enjoying the fragrance of the lilacs that took forever to bloom this year.



Growing up in Massachusetts, the lilacs normally didn't bloom until late May, around my birthday, so I always thought of them as my birthday flower. Back then, the standard, "old fashioned" lilacs were widely planted - you know, those tall, towering bushes on the side of the house, laden heavy with clusters of lavender flowers. Often though, the bushes would mature and rendered themselves too large for the space they were planted in - after all, a fully grown standard lilac spans 12 feet tall with a 10 feet spread. So many a mature lilac bush ended up being replaced with something smaller.

For our current home, I knew we didn't have space for such a large bush, so I opted for a more petite, dwarf Japanese variety, Miss Kim. Their only drawback is the small size of the florets.



But they give off that same wonderful, lush fragrance. Maybe one day, I'll have a proper spot for a standard lilac. For now, I'll enjoy the delicate blooms and fragrance that says "Spring is Here".

Wishing those in the US a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.