THE LILAC ZONE
2017 was one of the slowest years to date in regards to first-time bloomers. Fortunately this was offset by a display of vibrant colors from the lilacs that did bloom this year.
Quite a few of the younger lilacs produced more mature blooms this year as well, which was exciting to see. What you may not know is that many younger lilacs will produce blooms in which the florets and panicles do not necessarily match in size or sometimes exact color to an adult specimen of the same cultivar. It may take several additional years of maturing before this happens!
'Sweetheart' tends to be a favorite in the lilac community and now that it has bloomed, I can see why. Once the dark pink buds bloom, the flowers fade to white, while buds elsewhere on the panicle remain dark pink. This creates a two-toned "popcorn"' effect on each panicle, which is very striking. The aroma of this lilac is also very sweet, which makes it even more enjoyable!
look forward to seeing it bloom again when I can observe the bloom for a longer period before it fades.
***UPDATE*** - Actually NOT 'Georges Claude'? After seeing photos of this cultivar in other collections, I am not entirely convinced that this is the true-to-name cultivar. I will be trying to validate further, but wanted to mention this in the event that anyone may be looking at my photos for validation of a cultivar that they have blooming in his/her own collection...
'Thomas Jefferson' has a nice hue to the blossoms, which tend to lean on the rose-colored side. While the blooms were nice, I suspect the blossoms of this cultivar have more potential and look forward to seeing them as the shrub continues to mature. Unfortunately this specimen is currently being crowded out in the nursery where I originally planted it, so it may be relocated this year to allow for more sunlight and growth.
Described as a double blue lilac, surprisingly 'Georges Claude' is one of those lilacs that really does not look very blue until the blooms have been out in the sun for a while. This lilac only produced a single bloom this year and it opened during 2 days where the temps were in the high 80's, shortening its bloom time. I