A belated post to commemorate the stunning lilacs in Santa Fe this year.
The scent of lilacs permeated the air as I was coming home from a walk with my dog, Aster. The wind lifted their scent. The blossoms poked their heads out between the chain link. One of my neighbors has lilacs that cheer me me up when I walk past. The blooms are white, pink and shades of the eponymous lilac. (Unfortunately, the photo below is blurry camera phone shot that Aster patiently allowed me to take.)
However, my lilacs are a sad testament to my lack of gardening skills. As with many of my early attempts at gardening in the desert Southwest, I plopped them into the ground without any soil amendment and anticipated the flush of blooms in years to follow. Year after year, I was disappointed as they increased in size but the flowers failed to impress. How hard could it be? I saw volunteers all over the place.
People suggested amending the soil around the plants, but I recalled how hard it was to dig the holes to plant them and mentally said, "No." I've tried giving them away. Trying to tempt my friends with the size of the bushes. Well this year, everyone's lilacs went wild and mine did, too.
My blooms weren't as prolific as some of the lilacs around town, but they were just enough for me.
Beautiful! Our Slovak lilacs slowly fade away. I had also a post about lilacs :-)
ReplyDeleteDaniela, I'm still catching up on my blog reading. I will look for your lilac post. The lilacs have mostly faded here also.
DeleteBeautiful Lilacs. I bet things smelled heavenly around your house. They are such beautiful spikes of flowers and yours are no exception.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
Mine are volunteer lilacs that some friends gave me, but I still love them and they smelled great.
DeleteI am surprised lilacs grow so well in your location. I thought it would be to warm for them in NM. Mine are still in bloom because our temps got cooler for a long while. Lilac goes trough periods where it may flower less, especially when newly planted, so that may be what you experienced before. This year your lilac really bloomed well. Don't you just love the fragrance?
ReplyDeleteI've never seen the lilacs bloom so prolifically. This year was especially notable. It makes want to get some more, but I'll do a better job of planting them. :)
DeleteI had no idea that lilacs grew in the SW. I can't grow them here. Crape Myrtle is our lilac alternative but it isn't the same as the glorious smell of lilacs!
ReplyDeleteCrape Myrtle reminds of me of my only trip to to Georgia for a training in Marietta. I remember the medians on the highways around Atlanta lined with them.
DeleteCongratulations, Theta. Time is a great fertilizer. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteLee, I hope time continues to fertilize them.
DeleteGlad to hear you have flowers. Mine are 5 or 6 years old now and should have bloomed well this year. But the warmth of March forced them to grow and bud and the 10 freezing nights in April killed most leaves on one and all the buds on the other. I even covered them but no there are none this year for me.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I think the same thing happened to my aspen tree. There was a freeze and half the tree leafed out and nothing on the top of the tree. Hope you have better luck next year. I didn't realize lilacs took so long to mature.
DeleteI'm glad your lilacs went wild this year! I think everyone at work must have brought in a bouquet for their desks at one point--this was a good spring for them for whatever reason. Maybe yours have caught on to the idea now and will put on just as beautiful a show for you next year, too.
ReplyDeleteOne of my co-workers brought in lilacs for the female staff in our unit. They made me smile every time I walked into my office. It was nice to have them indoors and out.
DeleteHow beautiful! I bet it smells heavenly too. Purple is my favorite color. It's nice to see so much of it in one spot in the garden!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blooms! I have only one bush which is purple. Recently, I wrote about a tip which our NW garden guru, Ciscoe Morris, gave withregard to non-blooming lilac. He said to dig it out in the middle of the hot summer and then, put it back into the same hole. It'll get scared that you are going to kill it, and will bloom for you as crazy! Well, your lilacs bloom fo you, so you don't need to scare them!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers, magical colour of the spring. I am greeting
ReplyDeleteNow I have lilac-envy. Your blooms are lovely, Theta. Mime are very old and tired (a bit like me). P. x
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful colors! I don't have these beauties, so I get a real treat by viewing yours.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous blooms, Lilacs are one of my faves! Yours are doing great, so healthy and full of color...love! I bet the smell is intoxicating too. Hope your studies are going well, we've missed you xx
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