Thursday, May 26, 2011

Lilac Harvest 2011

It's one of my favorite times of year. Besides the fact that it has been murky and gloomy all week with non-stop drizzle (great for the yard, bad for those of us with 2 year old who are desperate to hit the park), my absolute favorite time of year outdoors has finally arrived: Lilac season.

It is such a short window, when the branches of all our lilac trees are so heavy with blooms they nearly sag. We have at least 2 varieties of lilacs, and thankfully they don't bloom all at the same time so I know that when these ones die off I still have a few weeks left with the others.

I have no idea what the 'correct' way of trimming them is, but I like to bring them in when there is still a lot of unopened blooms. When they start to mature I find that the flowers are much more delicate and fall off easily, whereas these ones will still have a week or so to enjoy inside. And the scent is amazing as they open up!

Still wet from the rain.



My $1 auction jars and basket finally reach their full potential, doing exactly what I had in mind for them when they came home.

Even after lilac season has past, I am just so thankful that it is summer. There will be many more blooms to grace us with their beauty and perfume still.

17 comments:

Amy said...

Ah, lilac! Such a part of spring for me every since I was little (growing up in Regina, then five years in Calgary before moving to Ottawa in 2008). We're currently in the last 1/3 or so of a year in Bogota, Colombia, so no lovely lilacs for me this year... although I won't complain too much since the flora and fauna down here are pretty stunning.

Happy signs-of-spring to you!

Deborah said...

DELIGHTFUL!

The enchanted home said...

I love lilac......so beautiful! Your pictures are just exquisite and look like they are right out of a magazine!

Melissa said...

My fave's as well. We have a bush by our front gate, but it's at least a month past bloom time here in the south!

laxsupermom said...

Love lilacs! I love walking up to the house and being greeted by the scent of them. Lovely pics! Thanks for sharing.

Valerie@chateaualamode.typepad.com said...

I love the lilacs. They are so beautiful.

Wye... said...

That white dresser is beautiful + wyetha

SoSoBella said...

very pretty!!

Sixty-Fifth Avenue said...

beautiful blooms in those jars and basket!

carolyn said...

Your lilacs look beautiful in the jars in the basket. What a great idea to bring them in before they've fully opened. Hopefully it won't be pouring tomorrow and I'll be able to bring in some of mine.

Ginger said...

I'm so jealous, we are too far south for lilacs to grow. But my grandparents lived in Ohio and I just loved visiting them while they were in bloom. They will always remind me of them.
Ginger@savvyshanty

Charo said...

So beautiful, love the wire basket!

Anonymous said...

gorgeous!

To The Moon and Back said...

I'm in love with the lilacs, the basket, the branches on the wall....but my heart skips a beat for that chest of drawers!

Rosa @ Flutter Flutter said...

I'm harvesting now too!! Love lilac season! TIP: My grandparents always had lilacs and said that the trick to them lasting longer inside is to smash the stem, right where you cut it off, with a hammer before you put it in water... it seems to work!

1 Funky Woman said...

Gorgeous! I can almost smell them! Love those sticks too!

Megan

Marsha said...

Holly, I love lilacs but, we are a little behind you here on the east coast. To get my lilacs to drink the water, I cut a small slit up the end of the branch and they seem to fare better in the vases.

 
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