At the end of the Second World War, Ivor Novello’s We’ll Gather Lilacs was one of the most popular songs in Britain. Recorded by many performers, the sentimental song held out a promise to weary soldiers of a springtime reunion with loved ones, gathering lilacs and strolling down country lanes. What could be more British? Lilacs were a fixture of most gardens; their perfume was the scent of late spring and generous bouquets of the flowers were commonplace in parlours and sitting rooms. The likelihood is, though, that those oh-so-British shrubs were, in fact, French.
From the end of the 19th century until the 1930s, French, which has pale-mauve or, very occasionally, white flowers. But thanks to him, soon these deciduous shrubs, which are robust, floriferous and easy to grow, with flowers that give a heady fragrance, could be grown in a colour range from deepest purple through reds, pinks, blues and sparkling whites. Most forms are hung heavy with panicles of single flowers, but dozens of double-flowered forms were also bred by Lemoine.
