THE LILAC ZONE
'My Favorite' - This is not actually my favorite lilac but presumably it was Hulda Klager's favorite, or at least the favorite of someone that she knew, as she was the one that propagated it. This lilac is a double and exhibits a beautiful combination of purple, magenta and silver in the blooms. It appears to be very similar to 'Ostrander', which was another one of her cultivars.
'California Rose' - This early-blooming lilac has delicate shades of pink and a great aroma. If I had more room, it would definitely be in my collection!
'Serene' - Lilacs with recurved petals like this one always capture my attention. I was particularly excited to see (and smell) this lilac for the first time because it has been described as having one of the strongest, sweetest aromas. Though I would contend that there are some others that could give it some good competition, it did not disappoint!
'Kate Sessions' -This lilac is one of the early bloomers, and like 'Spectabilis', grabbed my attention every time I walked by it. Admittedly, this picture does not do it justice. I think I may have been attracted to it because of the enormity of the panicles. Whatever the reason, I revisited it more than once!
With 2016, it seems that "Old Man Winter" decided to be kind to us compared to last year, at least in regards to snowfall! January and February quickly passed by. March was somewhat of a roller coaster ride regarding temp fluctuations, with temps vacillating from below zero to days topping off at 68 degrees. While we managed to avoid the massive snowstorms that pummeled us last year and buried our collection, unfortunately the temp extremes seemed to wreck havoc with the bloom this year. Some of our shrubs only produced half of the blooms normally expected, leaving quite a few visible buds undeveloped. Other lilacs that bloomed produced flowers half of the size normally seen. The bloom season itself occurred quite a bit later than usual. Regardless, it did not stop me from enjoying the season and taking an excursion to New York to experience the beautiful and admittedly overwhelming Highland Park in Rochester! (What an incredible park!!!)
More info on my trip there to come, but in the meantime, here are some pics of some pretty cool and hard-to-find lilacs that I was lucky enough to see for the first time at the park...
'Colonel William R. Plum' - I love the lilacs with deep purple hues and this one ranks right up there. It is easy to see why it has the name that it does!
'Richard A. Fenicchia' - This double-flowered lilac is pretty rare. I don't know of anywhere else that it is located besides Highland Park. It is a shame that no one in the US has chosen to propagate it because the blooms are rather eye-catching! If anyone reading this owns a nursery that propagates lilacs, please consider it! It's beautiful!
'Spectabilis' -I had never even heard of this lilac until I saw it at Highland Park. There are certain lilacs that just seem to catch my eye for some reason and every time I walked past this one, that was the case. I returned to it again and again!