Grow old-fashioned lilac's and you will enjoy fragrant flowers every spring. This spring-blooming flowering shrub will grow in your yard for many generations provided that you meet it's growing requirements.
I love my lilacs and in the spring when the flowers bloom, the fragrance is wonderful. Over the years I have taken many photographs of my lilac blooms and turned those photographs here are a few.
Know that growing the lilacs and getting blooms such as the ones in the photo card that it will take several years. So I recommend that you buy a nursery-grown shrub to plant in your yard.
Here are some growing tips
- You can grow the old-fashioned lilac as a flowering hedge and it will provide privacy as the lilac will grow to 15 feet in height with a 12-foot spread.
- Select a growing site that offers full sun with well-drained soil. The roots of the lilac are deep and prefer to not be wet so plant on the top of a hill or in an area where the water drains well.
- Plant the old-fashioned lilac
in the spring after the threat of frost has passed.
- If you purchase a lilac from the nursery gently remove it from the container. Hydrate the roots by filling a large bucket with tepid water.
- Set the lilac root ball in the water for a half-hour. While the roots are hydrating prepare your planting site.
- Loosen the soil with your shovel and amend the soil with compost or manure.
- Dig a hole that is the same depth and width as the lilac container.
- Plant the lilac when it is hydrated. Set the root ball in the center hole and fill the hole up with soil.
- Water well.
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| Hand pull weeds then apply 4 inches of mulch |
Caring for Lilacs
- Keep the growing site weed-free.
- Apply 3 to 4 inches of mulch around the base of the lilac. The mulch will help to retain moisture and discourage weed growth.
- In early spring remove the mulch and apply compost or manure around your lilac shrub. This is a natural way to fertilize your flowering shrub.
- Reapply the mulch after you add the compost or manure.
Other Garden Tips
- Remove spent flowers
- Prune or shape annually after the lilac has flowered
- Butterflies and hummingbirds will visit your yard when the lilacs bloom
- Hardy in growing zones 3-7
I just love Lilacs, they remind me of when I was a child and went to my Aunt's house to visit. She had a big beautiful shrub, and we always managed to go there when it was in bloom. Such a wonderful smell! Great blog on Old-fashioned lilacs.
ReplyDeleteNancy: I love the Old-Fashioned Lilac also; they remind me of my childhood. Lilacs bloomed all over my neighborhood and I was a flower-child and would pick my mom a bouquet. I loved to see her excitement when I handed her the flowers. She would arrange the flowers in a crystal vase from Ireland and then would set them on the dining room table; the entire house would be fragrant from the heavenly scent. (Whenever I brought my mom flowers they would make her very happy and she would always make a chocolate dessert)
ReplyDeleteLilacs bloom right after Mothers Day here in MN. I love the fragrance of the old fashioned purple lilac too.
ReplyDeleteLilacs bloom the first part of May here in Missouri...although the weather has been unusually warm and noticed that my lilacs have small buds, so maybe they will be early bloom this year. I hope we don't get a spring frost.
ReplyDeleteMy mom has two huge lilacs. One is dark purple and one is light purple. I enjoyed the video on how to prune them... I am the one who always has to do it and I learned something from this.
ReplyDelete