Lilacs in Bloom

"You've seen lilacs wet by rain? Perfect--a mingling of diamond bracelets and Concord grapes."

--Allan Gurganus, American writer

My lilacs have been blooming for about a week now, and I go out every morning and admire them, take pictures, and breathe in their sweet fragrance.  I have been cutting them and bringing them into the house every couple of days,  as there is nothing I love more than a big bouquet of lilacs in the spring. Mmm, just looking at these pictures makes me want to stick my nose in them and inhale! Wish you could!

Mine are just the common lilacs-- I have always wanted to get some named varieties, especially the smaller "Miss Kim," but I never have. As I said yesterday, Meadowlark Gardens used to have a spectacular collection of lilacs and I was hoping to see them on Sunday and take some pictures. But it looks like all of their fancy lilacs have died, and all that remained were a few old stumps of common lilac, not even as pretty as mine. So disappointing. I bet the National Arboretum has a collection, but don't think I will get down there this spring. I would love to have a small border of different varieties of lilacs in my side yard, that would be so pretty in the spring. But not so pretty the rest of the year, as they really are not a very pretty shrub/tree.