Lilacs are classic garden shrubs and small trees that have fragrant purple, pink or white panicles of single or double tubular flowers, from late spring to early summer. Lilac flowers are excellent for cutting and are edible too!
The most common lilac is Syringa vulgaris. This wild species of Lilac is a deciduous shrub which grows into a bushy thicket of around 7 x 7m and has green heart-shaped leaves. The light blue-purple flowers are very sweet-smelling in early summer. Lilac is part of the olive family and native to east Asia and south east Europe. It was much loved by the Edwardians and widely grown in suburban gardens. It’s hard to beat for flowers and scent.
Lilacs are easy to grow, and thrive in moist but well-drained, fertile, neutral to alkaline soil in full sun. There are are many cultivars to choose from – some are compact and are suitable for smaller gardens or pots, while larger types can be grown as a stand-alone specimen in a lawn or at the back of a mixed border.
Gardener’s World suggests that you consider growing:
Syringa 'Red Pixie' - a compact lilac, baring masses of fragrant pink flowers, which open from red buds. It often then flowers again in late summer or early autumn. Perfect for a small garden, it will also grow in a large pot. Height x Spread: 1.8m x 1.8m
Syringa meyeri 'Palibin' - a Korean lilac that bears masses of panicles of fragrant, purple-pink flowers from late spring to early summer, contrasting with oval, dark green leaves. It’s ideal for growing in a sunny ornamental border. Compact and slow growing, it's suitable for smaller gardens or growing in pots. H x S: 1.5m x 1.5m
Syringa vulgaris 'Primrose' - has white flowers that mature to cream-yellow and have an exceptional lilac scent. H x S: 3m x 3m
Syringa vulgaris Sensation' - a striking lilac with unusual, purple-red flowers that are edged with white. H x S: 4m x 4m
Syringa vulgaris 'Katherine Havemeyer' - A spreading shrub with double, lavender blue flowers, set against heart shaped leaves. H x S: 4m x 4m
Syringa vulgaris 'Madame Lemoine' - A beautiful large double white-flowered variety bred by the French breeder Victor Lemoine in 1890, and still going strong today. H x S: 7m x 7m
Syringa vulgaris 'Charles Joly' - Stunning, double purple-red flowers. H x S: 4m x 4m
So why are we looking at Lilacs in July? Well, as the flowers fade towards midsummer, you can deadhead spent blooms on smaller shrubs. You prune lilacs after flowering to prevent them getting leggy and also remove any dead, diseased or dying wood.
Because they flower on the previous year's wood, if you are trying to re-shape the plant, remove some stems by cutting them back to the ground a few at a time, over a period of two or three years. This will ensure that you still enjoy some spring flowers. Otherwise, if you hard-prune the entire plant at once, you will lose the flowers for at least a year.
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