Purple Lilacs
Purple is my favorite color and has been since I was a little girl, and lilacs are my favorite flower. They have a sweet smell that compares to nothing and I’m so thankful to have 2 trees just loaded with blooms at our guest house.
I planted a sucker plant at the cabin about 4 years ago, it does get leaves every year, but hasn’t grown much at all. It’s probably 2 feet tall at this point and I’m beginning to think it’s never going to take off. I got the sucker from a friend that had 2 shades of purple and white lilacs all growing together, so I’ve been curious to see what color blooms I’ll get.
I remember when I planted the two trees I currently have years ago. They were rescue sticks from the dollar bin at Walmart at the end of the season. They had them in wheelbarrow marked $1 and I was certain they were dead, but figured for a buck I’d plant them and see what happens.
Well amazingly they took off and eventually gave me beautiful fragrant blooms. I so wish after cutting them they’d last longer in the house but I can only get about 3 days out of them and that’s with changing the water every day and adding plant food packets to the water.
Does anyone have a trick to get them to last longer? It seems such a shame to cut them and get such a small amount of time to enjoy them? I think I need to plant a tree closer to the cabin where the breeze can blow it’s perfume scent in my direction.
Gorgeous lilacs, love the bucket and wash pan too!
Hope you can plant a lilac bush near your home, the scent, glorious!
Kathleen in Az
Kathleen I love my wash bins and sap buckets I use them all over the place to decorate.
I do not have any lilac bushes, so not sure how to preserve them longer…but must say that 3 days of those beauties is worth it….
Shirley the whole house smells of them for 3 days too. It’s heavenly!
I have 2 vases of lilacs in my house and it smells so good!!!
Jeanie isn’t it amazing how it smells up the whole house? I just love it. I had a small bouquet on my desk and I kept leaning over and putting my nose right into the flowers and breathing deeply. Heavenly!
So beautiful. I miss them, were too far south now. I had 6 different ones in Indiana.
Brooke I just love them and love every color they come in. I’d like one in pink but they seem hard to find and very expensive when I do.
Dawn, I have to admit that I have never smelled a lilac so I am envious! They do not grow well here in the heat and humidity. You should treat yourself and plant one near your porch so you can indulge in the fragrance while sitting outside!
Jane and anything like candles that are lilac scent just don’t compare. Today I can smell wild honeysuckle scent blowing into the house and it’s just as delightful as lilacs.
Found same problem with cut lilacs lasting in house. That’s when our two bushes bloom. @times have noticed about to bloom then we get cold again and so much for lilacs. Has happened twice n getting disgusted. Took bushes 3 yrs. to finally bloom after planting.
Your bushes sure did bloom beautifully, so many gorgeous flowers. Have another lilac bush but far as we know has never bloomed, sigh. Maybe someday, hope we live long enuf to see it, lol. Our ground has so much alkali in it is hard to get many plants to live. Enjoy your gorgeous lilacs while they last.
Happy Mothers day
JaneEllen, mine are still going strong but it’s in the 80’s here now so they’ll wilt fast. I have no idea why once cut they only last a few days. Most other flowers and tree blooms last much longer.
Last week I had brought a bunch in, from the yard, they don’t seem to last long in a vase, but the time that they do is glorious!!!! NOW I have honeysuckle blooming by my wraparound porch. It smells heavenly too!
Julie I just noticed today the smell of wild honeysuckle in the air. It’s just as delightful as lilacs.
I love lilacs! We have one bush that we planted 2 years ago. Blooms are a little spindly so we fertilized them. Normally when I pick flowers & put them in a vase I use the water from my reverse osmosis faucet and they last a long, long time. Not so with lilacs.
Shelly, Wow that’s amazing about the reverse osmosis. What do you think the difference is that makes them last? I use regular tap water from our well, no chemicals or anything.
I don’t know other than pure water. Makes me glad that’s the water I’m drinking though. It’s good to see the difference in the life of the flowers – longer life for me too, lol
Dawn,
I must agree with you. I love lilacs and I have three bushes in my backyard. The lavender ones are my favorites. I can smell the lilacs from the deck and it’s almost heaven to sit out there and enjoy a cold drink and smell the lilacs. Once the lilacs are gone, the mock orange takes over. It smells wonderful as well!