It's Lilac Season

It's lilac season in the Willamette Valley and my three young Syringa vulgaris 'President Grevy' are in bloom. Gardenia.net tells me that 'President Grevy' was bred by French hybridizer Victor Lemoine, introduced in 1886, and named after the then-president of France, Jules Grevy. Lemoine was a prolific hybridizer and introduced the first double begonia. He also bred Peony 'Sandra Bernhardt,' a classic fragrant pink double that is popular today, and his son bred Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile,' widely considered the best of the Philadelphus. Both also received an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. 'Belle Etoile' was also selected as a "Great Plant Pick" for the Pacific Northwest. I have both 'Belle Etoile' and 'Sandra Bernhardt' in my garden.

Syringa vulgaris (common lilac) is a member of the Olive (Oleaceae) family and native to the Balkans. I find lilacs to be challenging in the Willamette Valley, although I see them all over. Our wet springs and dry summers lead to powdery mildew and other fungal infection on the foliage. I was a bit reluctant to add them to the garden. Not just because of their health problems, which are mainly cosmetic, but because they do not have a lot to offer once they finish blooming. We have so many plants available to us in the Willamette Valley that offer three-season interest and no health problems, it was hard to include a plant that offers only a few weeks of interest. My wife, however, was not to be dissuaded. For her, lilacs were reminiscent of childhood. Since I normally get my way in the garden, a concession on lilacs was in order. I purchased ours from Loens Nursery in five-gallon pots.

Lilacs should be pruned immediately after flowering since they bloom on second-year wood. Their canes lose vigor over time and benefit from hard pruning when this occurs. Here's a short video on lilac pruning from the guru of garden pruning, Cass Turnbull.