Monday, April 06, 2009

Garden Journal 4/6/09: Don't Count Your Lilacs Until They're Actually Blooming


I'm Not Holding My Breath (or should that be my nose?) for These Beautiful Little Buds

I'm crazy about lilacs, but I know better than to count them before they open up, even if the bushes are loaded with buds. Unfortunately they usually only make it to the full flowering stage every few years here because of our crazy weather—and the fact that our low lying location (as the weather people refer to it) 300 feet down in this little valley means that we have colder temps and later freezes than they do 'up top.' Tonight it's supposed to drop down into the low 20s, and there were light flurries blowing around in the bluster all day.

I don't have a whole lot of hope of these and the dozens of others holding out during tonight's freeze, but you never know. You've gotta be tough to survive here in Missouri.

Do you love lilacs, too?

More about my lilacs:
4/5/06: The Lilacs Are Coming! The Lilacs Are Coming!
4/5/07: Lilacs! (and dozens of your lilac memories and stories)
3/22/08: Leaves on the Lilacs (and lots more lilac memories)

© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the budding foodie farm blog where it's always a good year for something colorful out there, and with over 400 flowers blooming at once the other day, it was definitely a banner spring for the always cheerful daffodils.

16 comments:

  1. First, let me tell you that you are quickly becoming MY FAVORITE BLOG! I can't wait for a day when I can just sit and explore and read every single article.

    I'm in Jersey and I am also anxious waiting for my lilacs to bloom. They are full of buds this year (pruned way back last year). I also have some seedlings at the base that I may like to transplant to another part of the yard. Lilacs are my very favorite spring bloom since I was a little girl. My mom and two huge bushes in the yard, and I would go out and cut big bunches of them and bring them in and arrange in bases around the house.

    Thank you for your wonderful articles.

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  2. Oh yes, we woke up to an inch of snow this morning here (with temps in the 20's last night). All this after a 70 degree day on Sunday.

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  3. Hello Susan! I live in north central Arkansas and just missed the expected freeze last night. I hope you did as well!

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  4. I can't believe your lilacs are budding! Oh to [actually] be Spring in Wisconsin! Another several weeks, I fear. Lilacs are my favorite herald of the season - very much looking forward to the first blooms and that wonderful scent!

    Cheers,

    *Heather*

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  5. When frost threatens my lilacs, I cut a few branches and bring them indoors to "force", they always bloom for me. Give it a try.

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  6. Mine won't bud for a while, either, if they're smart.

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  7. There is just nothing is this world that compares to the smell of lilacs. As a Minnesotan transplanted to Texas I miss lilacs very much. I also miss tulips, and marmots.

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  8. Oh I will hope against hope that your lilacs bloom! I LOVE lilacs and have been known to wander into my neighbor's back yard to steal a whiff off their blooming plants.

    Perhaps I should consider planting some of my own. Or stealing over there under cover of night.

    Cheers!

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  9. I am also a Minnesota transplant to Texas (just like Elizabeth), and I too miss lilacs. I tried growing a different variety of lilac here once that supposedly could withstand Texas heat, but it survived about a year, had poor blooms and was a big disappointment. So, I'll just have to live vicariously through my gardening blog friends and enjoy other Texas plants instead. I hope your lilacs bloom!!

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  10. I actually did a whole post about the lilacs last year. I have good associations with them, and we have a LOT of very old lilac bushes. But they know better than to try to bud early. The leaves haven't even opened on ours yet.

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  11. I too love lilacs. Sure hope yours make it! This is my first visit here and am looking forward to reading more real soon. I came here via June Fuentes blog, "A Wise Woman Builds Her Home."

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  12. Lilacs are absolutely my favorite flowers - which drives Hubster crazy because he can't just drop by the grocery store and pick up a bunch.

    I have two lilac bushes under my kitchen window here in way northern Alabama, and the blooms are about petered out. :o(

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  13. I have a dwarf lilac bush and it bloomed the first year and didn't bloom for like 4 years. This year it seems to be blooming again...is there something I was doing wrong.

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  14. Does anyone have any advice to offer regarding recipe software?
    I absolutely love both of your blog sites and ready them daily.
    Thank you

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  15. Same here. I think because we had such a long, cold Winter that the lilacs had time to form lots of flower buds. Looks like they are going to be brilliant this year, but not out yet.

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