May 1997 was the beginning of my lilac collection. For our anniversary, my husband and I were given 5 lilacs by our good friends Bonnie and Curtis. When trying to decide where these should be planted, the idea of a "lilac walk" came to mind. A bed approximately 80 feet long was prepared and the following lilacs were planted: 'Sensation', 'Grande Flora Alba', 'President Grevy', 'Belle de Nancy', and 'Miss Canada'.All were bare rooted shrubs about 2-3 feet in height. Hindsight makes me ask why, oh why did I not mulch this bed at the time of planting? 15 years makes a lot of difference in the energy I have for garden maintenance. The bed was filled in with perennials including peonies and a waft of spring flowering bulbs. It grew and so did the weeds. What had started out as a wonderful display has now grown into a jungle, almost impossible to weed. But the lilacs are still beautiful and bloom every year. So I will start out with these five dependable beauties.
