WHENEVER we think about lilacs, it’s the fragrance that always comes to mind. And although many of the older varieties only last two or three weeks in flower, that delicious scent lingers with us the year round.
Of course, at peak flowering in May and June, the colour is overwhelming and, with the fragrance, we’re almost tipped into dizziness. But the flowers fade and we’re left with the memory of those peak weeks.
Needless to say, the plant breeders’ skills have come to the fore and modern lilacs are very different.
Traditional lilacs – tree sized
The spectacular, super-scented traditional lilacs – invaluable stalwarts of both the cottage border and the grand gardens of manor houses – enjoyed a huge boom at the end of the 19th century when a vast number of new varieties were introduced, mainly from France.
These are mainly varieties of , originally found wild in the mountainslarge, strong-growing shrubs and small trees, sometimes reaching 10ft (3m) or more in height.
