The Blooming Allee of Lilacs at My Farm
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, it's hard to miss the beautiful spring lilacs, Syringa vulgaris. My allee of lilac hedges is just exploding with gorgeous, colorful, and fragrant clusters.
I love lilacs and have enjoyed growing them for many years. In fact, the common lilac has been part of the American landscape for centuries. Lilacs planted in 1650 on Michigan’s Mackinac Island are some of the country's oldest known specimens. And, according to the National Gardening Bureau, 2022 is the "Year of the Lilac." If you don't already have these plants in your garden, I strongly encourage you to grow one, or two, or even three of these spring-flowering shrubs - they will give you years of striking blooms.
Enjoy these photos.
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- I planted this allee of lilac about 16-years ago and it has thrived ever since. It is located behind my chicken coops not far from my tennis court. Lilacs are low maintenance, easy to grow, and can reach from five to 20-feet tall or more depending on their variety.
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- Here is a view looking down the allee with the tennis court in the distance.
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- The lilac, Syringa vulgaris, is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae. Syringa is a genus of up to 30-cultivated species with more than one-thousand varieties. And look at the beautiful lilac color.
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- Lilacs come in seven colors: pink, violet, blue, lilac, red, purple, and white. The purple lilacs have the strongest scent compared to other colors.
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- The bold lilac colors look pretty against the vibrant green foliage. Lilac leaves are simple, opposite, ovate, about two to four inches long, and usually shaped like elongated hearts.
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- Lilacs have pyramidal clusters of blossoms with both single and double varieties – all with the same glossy green leaves.
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- ‘Sensation’, first known in 1938, is unique for its bicolor deep-purple petals edged in white on eight to 12-foot-tall shrubs.
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- This lilac variety is pure white. Lilacs were introduced into Europe at the end of the 16th century from Ottoman gardens and arrived in American colonies a century later. To this day, it remains a popular ornamental plant in gardens, parks, and homes because of its attractive, sweet-smelling blooms.
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- And, lilacs were grown in America’s first botanical gardens – both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew them.
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- Here, one can see how prolific my lilacs are – so many sweet-smelling flowers along both sides of the allee – the fragrance is intoxicating.
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- Lilacs grow best in full sun and moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil. It must drain well as lilacs cannot tolerate “wet feet” or wet roots. Soil that is average to poor with a neutral to alkaline pH is preferred. Established plants will tolerate dry soil, but newly planted shrubs need to be kept moist for the first year until their roots are set.
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- Lilacs benefit from regular watering at planting, during bloom, and heavy growth periods.
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- Most lilacs thrive in hardiness zones 3 through 7, in cooler climates with chilling periods. Lilacs are typically clump forming, producing new shoots from the base of the trunk, which can be used for propagating.
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- Although lilac flowers are among the most delicate of the ornamentals, some newer hybrid varieties can survive winter temperatures of 60-degrees-below-zero Fahrenheit.
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- When selecting a location for planting, choose one that has good air circulation to reduce the likelihood of fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew.
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- And always choose a planting space that will allow for the plant’s mature height and spread. This tip applies to all perennials.
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- Lilacs appear from mid-spring to early summer just before many of the other summer flowers blossom. Young lilacs can take up to three-years to reach maturity and bear flowers – be patient.
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- By planting an assortment, bloom time will be staggered and can last for up to two-months. Lilacs should be pruned each year shortly after blooming has completed. At that time, remove spent flowers, damaged branches, and old stems, but never prune after July 4th because at that point, the tree has already begun to set next year’s flower buds.
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- And don’t forget to feed. Apply granular organic fertilizer early each spring at the base of the plant, and water it in well. Buds are set the previous year, so the fertilizer feeds this year’s leaves and next year’s blooms.
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- When cutting, cut the lilacs right at their peak, when color and scent are strongest, and place them in a vase as soon as possible.
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- Here’s a view looking toward the chicken coops. Lilacs have been well-loved by gardeners for so many years. They are tough, reliable, and ever so fragrant. I hope this inspires you to grow lilac, the “Queen of shrubs.” It will quickly become one of your favorites in the garden.
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