Old-Fashioned Lilacs
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Old-fashioned lilacs brighten up any room. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
Old-Fashioned Lilacs
If there is one flower that should be brought inside its lilacs. In particular, old-fashioned lilacs with their strong lovely scent. Where I live, I see many old-fashioned lilacs in bloom especially on old home sites. Old-fashioned lilacs were often planted as privacy screens, combining both practicality and beauty.
One of my spring routines is monitoring how soon lilac buds appear; it’s yet another sign of the arrival of spring and the promise of beauty to come. My lilacs tend to bloom along with peonies, iris and other Mother’s Day May 10 blooming flowers.
To bring lilacs inside, you need to cut them off the plant when the flowers are just starting to open.
Cut old-fashioned lilacs when they are just starting to bloom. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
Once cut, either smash the bottom of the stems with a hammer or cut them with your pruners. The stems need a little help to take up water to keep the flowers fresh.
After putting them in a vase, let them sit for an hour in your kitchen so you can easily refill the vase. Lilacs will at first take up a lot of water so monitor the water level.
Also place the lilacs in a vase in indirect light and away from heat.
One person I know suggested placing the lilacs in the fridge overnight to extend their life. I never have enough room in mine to do that but I have placed them where I know it’s a cool spot in the house.
Old-fashioned lilacs planted under windows. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
You can enjoy the scent of lilacs by planting them under house windows. My old-fashioned lilacs where some of the first plants I put in after building the house in 1982. These lilacs share their scent when I open up the windows.
Each sprig includes dozens of teeny tiny flowers. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
Old-fashioned lilacs (Syringa vulgaris), are also known as common lilacs. They have green, heart-shaped foliage and fragrant flowers from spring to early summer,. This European native can grow up to 20 feet tall in sunny spots in most soils from USDA Hardiness zones 4-8.
Once finished blooming, trim the bushes so that it will bloom again next year.
Charlotte
