​The 2021 season was a fun one as I took a trip to Highland Park in Rochester, New York to aid the park in assessing their current lilac collection. Highland Park has the largest display of lilacs available for viewing by the public in the United States and has a significant number of cultivars that can't be found in any other public or private collection in the US. Experiencing the immensity and beauty of this park as the casual visitor can be overwhelming in itself. I have to admit, assisting in assessing the collection was both exhilarating (and an honor!), yet tiring at the same time. With only so much time available to visit, despite how much time we spent, we determined that this project was far too large to be accomplished all at once and would require additional visits in the future before considered completed. Regardless, this trip nourished my soul, not only because of the opportunity to observe so many beautiful and rare lilacs, but it also strengthened friendships with individuals that I had only conversed with through email and texts until then. Meeting them personally and having so much time to spend with them only confirmed what I already knew - that I was blessed to have met and become friends with some pretty amazing people!

THE LILAC ZONE