Home Garden Companion

Ilona's Garden Journal

buy quality plants
  • Plant Library On The Journal
  • Garden chores
    • Do as I say
  • Ilona’s Garden Home
    • Old House Blog
    • Garden Librarian
  • Ilona’s Garden Flavor Shop
  • Privacy Policy

Garden photos

My Lilacs

Lilacs, you either love them or despise them. Those who hold them in little regard usually complain about their dull leaves, lack of season interest, and short bloom while taking big space. Ah, but those that love them speak but one word with that glassy-eyed expression of infatuation: fragrance!

The fragrance is evocative of old gardens, grandmothers, home dooryards, simpler times and simpler values. When what was desired of a garden was a little bit of pleasure and respite from the duties of one’s day. The lavender panicles giving musky sweet aroma on the air, lavishly filling indoor vases with flowers that manage to be both opulent and demure were relished by generations of gardeners. Some of us still carry that torch.

from ‘When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed’
By Walt Whitman

In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-washed palings,
Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love,
With every leaf a miracle -and from this bush in the dooryard,
With delicate-coloured blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
A sprig with its flower I break.

Since I moved to a country place, I have room to spare and one of my early activities included choosing a number of different lilacs for the garden. I have three whites, one is ‘Ellen Willmott‘, one’Mme. Lemoine‘, and an ‘Edith Cavell‘. The old fashioned syringa vulgaris was one of the few things that came with the original plantings here. An old bush that had lost its center, yet nevertheless a focal point of the front yard. It now shelters my aging adirondack bench. I sit there while resting between strenuous garden efforts, and it is there where a hummingbird taught me of God’s love and concern.

This year I took some pictures of my lilacs in bloom, though they are now finished for the year. I’d like to share a few of the photos with you.



the outer side of the old lilacs



‘Edith Cavell’ and ‘Andenken Ludwig Spaeth’, the newer lilacs, a single white and deep lavender. They are under trees, but face the western sun



a “blue” gray color of President Grevy
Technorati Tags: syringa vulgaris, grandma’s garden


DISCLOSURE: I may be an affiliate for products that I recommend. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. Thank you, in advance for your support! Privacy Policy
« Garden Work Between the Raindrops
The Busy Season »

Oh, hi there!

I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

Standouts

Do You Grow Herbs? 10 Reasons To Love Them

There are so many ways to enjoy herb plants, that they are not for herb gardens only. Think about tucking them into the landscape, into containers or into your home. I do I enjoy thee? Oh, Herb, Let me count the ways! 10 Ways I Enjoy Herbs (and you can, too!) In companion plantings, herbs […]

10 Cool Season Annual Flowers To Plant

Shirley poppies and Bachelor Buttons Not every garden writer alerts you to the fact that annuals can have seasons that are shorter than other choices. For places like Ohio which have hot summers, there are common annuals that only do well when our weather is cooler, such as in early summer. Those flowers sort of […]

Newest Postings Here

  • HELLLOOOO, From The Other Side
  • February Gardening, Last of Winter in the Flower Garden
  • Compilation of Past Mini-Posts of 2003
  • Wayback in Ilona Garden Time
  • 3 Tips For Landscaping Successfully With Ornamental Trees

Finding your way home via the garden path


Read reviews from the GardenLibarian

Visit For A Spell

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • Wanelo

Portrait of a Gardener

gardener musings

Musings

What’s Wrong With Today’s Gardening?

Modern gardening

What Is Wrong?

Garden Journal

fine garden journal

Journal, Planner and Log Book

Shop Small Trees and More

People’s Choice

Wayback in Ilona Garden Time

posted in Uncategorized

1910 garden plan

3 Tips For Landscaping Successfully With Ornamental Trees

posted in Landscape Design Know-How, Landscape Trees

Garden update

Mid-Ohio Gardening Update

posted in 2018, How's the weather?

All Season Garden Color with Bold Foliage Effects, Masterful Contrasts

posted in Garden design ideas, Landscape Design Know-How


Bonsai Trees

Stay updated!

Get all the latest tasty goodness straight to your inbox!

Topics

Past Posts

Join Me

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Garden Enthusiasm

Garden Enthusiasm Delivered

* indicates required

View previous campaigns.

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2021 · Part of Ilona’s Garden by Ilona Erwin