Smelly yard

When I got out of the car after work yesterday, I noticed the delightfully sweet smell of the yard. Those pink dogwoods have a really nice scent. I could also smell my wonderful purple lilacs mixed in. Absolutely heavenly!

Lilacs in the Spring!! Enchanting!! They lined the driveway of my old house!! It's only of late that I have noticed perhaps four lilacs around here and they were in the city. I had wondered if perhaps they wouldn't do so well in this climate which might account for their virtual non-existence. I can't see them surviving for long in these freak hot days!! Enjoy them while you can :-)

Lilac is probably one of my most favorites. They don't grow well here except for Miss Kim and I have not tried her. I had a HUGE lilac at home in Ohio and the fragrance was to die for. It was a cutting from the lilacs where I grew up in Indiana. I really miss them.

MMmmmmm, that sounds so nice, GL. I love lilacs and am happy my neighbor has a bush in his yard not far from our bedroom window. :) My favorite smell is the viburnum, though I can't have the bouquets inside the house without their make me sneezy. Mom and dad have a couple of them in their back yard and we can smell them from the curb in front when we visit.

We bought a little Korean Spice viburnum last year, and I'm looking forward to many years of enjoyment as he grows in his spot behind the sycamore in our back yard. He has leaves uncurling now, so he made it through winter just fine!

P.S. Howie told me today that the sycamore told him his name is Wilford. ;) Nice of that tree to mention it, wasn't it? I guess he was tired of us calling the little maple we've raised from a volunteer its name of Normy Tuttle (from Tom Bodett's stories).

Margaret,

Lilacs can't grow out there? Oh Erin will be so disappointed, she wanted to plant a few, used to have them when she was up North.

This message was edited Wednesday, Apr 17th 8:11 PM

louisa, our climates are pretty close and we grow lilacs. You might be surprised if you try.

I agree, lilacs should grow fine in Virginia. They don't like the deep south, but Tennessee and upward should be great for all lilacs.

Hummmmmm lol GRANNY LOL i saw one in a yard down the street....is it illegal to pick a small branch at night
I might be driving lol I love the smell....YUMMY
[[[[[[nana]]]]]]]

Then all I can say is that we don't have real gardeners here!! Whoever heard of a gardener not liking lilacs!!!! The ones I have seen seemed to be healthy!! I thought about Miss Kim,Palibin or Persica!! I did a research and came up with this lengthy list for Southern zones. So will definitely be planting them!! Let's hope we don't have too many Springs with temps this high!! Just can't see them surviving too well!! Here they are:-

Anabel 9 or less hyacinthiflora double white
Angel White 9 or less hyacinthiflora single white
Asessippi 8 or less hyacinthiflora single magenta
Blanche Sweeet 9 or less hyacinthiflora single blue
California Rose 9 or less hyacinthiflora single pink
Clarke's Giant 9 or less hyacinthiflora single blue
Corinna's Mist 9 or less hyacinthiflora single pink
Dark Night 9 or less hyacinthiflora single purple
Esther Staley 9 or less hyacinthiflora single magenta
Excel 9 or less hyacinthiflora single lavender
Evangeline 8 or less hyacinthiflora double magenta
Fairy Dust
Forrest Kresser Smith 9 or less hyacinthiflora single lavender
Lavender Lady 9 or less hyacinthiflora single lavender
Mary Short 8 or less hyacinthiflora double pink
Maiden's Blush 9 or less hyacinthiflora single pink
Mount Baker 9 or less hyacinthiflora single white
Pocahontas 8 or less hyacinthiflora single purple
Royal Purple 8 or less hyacinthiflora double purple
Sierra Snow 9 or less hyacinthiflora single white
Sister Justina 8 or less hyacinthiflora single white
Saugeana 9 or less chinensis single purple
Laciniata 9 or less other single violet
Palibin 8 or less meyeri single purple
Persica 9 or less other single lavender
George Eastman 8 or less julianaea single pink
'Snowstorm' 8 or less other single white
Superba 9 or less microphylla single pink
Josee 9 or less other single pink
Tinkerbelle 8 or less other single pink
Miss Kim 8 or less patula single violet
Diversifolia 9 or less other single violet
Pinnatifolia 9 or less other single white

I have a beautiful Lilac in the front garden and this heavy snow broke a couple of large limbs--- does anyone know what I should do? We don't have blooms yet, it was just starting to leaf out.I know to prune after it blooms and hope I don't loose the blossoms this year because of the broken limbs. Makes me so darn mad.

I noticed a small bloom on the back of my lilac bush today and had to wade into the flower bed to stick my nose on it :~) It's right outside the bedroom window so I hope when it's in full bloom the weather is warm enough to sleep with the window open. That's why I planted it in that spot :~D

Lana

Lana that's where we should all plant our fragrant plants - right under the bedroom window!! :-)

When I saw the post, I thought maybe you had an azalea like mine - it smells like dead meat when it blooms. I've checked around a little, but no one seems to know anything about it. I'd much rather have lilacs, but mine are just kids and not ready to bloom yet.

yuk Kathleen!!! Think I would have to pull it up :-( Attracts a lot of flies does it??

My dog Sarah would gladly roll in your azalea bush, Kathleen. She rolled in something when we went walking at Dawe's today -- PU!! Plus she and Emma got into some swampy area and had mud on them. We drove home taking shallow breaths through our mouths and I washed the girls right away. Ugh!

Great list of lilacs there, Louisa. Wow!

All our poor dogs have to roll in lately are dead starlings and, of course, eau du manure - wonderful french word that! Silly beasties. I think I'll leave it where it is, though, I can't imagine the stink of moving it! Rather like a 4' x 4' skunk cabbage!

At least eau du manure doesn't have four legs, mobility, and a propensity to cuddle. ;)

LOL, you haven't met my dogs!!