Thursday, April 26, 2012

LILACS



My Lilacs seem anemic this year. Perhaps the warm March weather forced them to bloom before their time. They smell wonderful though, and the Forget Me Nots did just fine.

Did you know Lilacs have a lifespan of fifty years and are a member of the Olive family?  Native to the Balkan Peninsula in Europe where they grew wild on rocky ledges, the plants were brought to western Europe for the gardens of royalty. The early settlers of North America brought Lilacs with them. The French of Detroit were no exception and Lilacs once dotted the Detroit River. 

I love Lilacs. Beautiful and hardy, they are an underlying theme of THE LAST LORD OF PARADISE.







My knowledge about Lilacs comes from an excellent website.
http://plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/common-purple-lilac