Creating a Lilac Walk - Part 2 - Planting Leonard's Lilacs
2015-09-17 19.01.04
We were delighted with how all the new lilacs (purchased with our OHA special project grant) did through the summer. We had to water them during the dry spells, but by fall they were all established and our "Boomerang" managed to come back with one lonely bloom in the middle of September.
We made the decision in the springtime to wait until the fall to transplant Leonard's Lilacs to a permanent home in our garden. The "Agincourt Beauty" had huge blossoms and was really thriving ...
2015-06-08 13.11.11
but the only example of "Slater's Elegance" was really struggling. The healthy branches had put out some amazing white flowers,
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so we tried our hand at propagating. These lilacs don't spread by suckering so we gave air layering a try.
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David watched over the shrub all summer long, keeping the layer moist and watching for new roots. We were hoping to move them in September, but we had a very warm dry month. Finally, moving day arrived on the last day of the month. We had a record number of volunteers that day. Some stayed at the Garden digging holes and the rest of us met at David and Lynn's place. The plants were dug, loaded them into the trailer and brought to the Garden.
2015-09-30 10.11.19
Most of the holes were already dug when we returned so we soaked them and got the lilacs all planted in no time.
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They look great planted alongside the path, creating the Lilac Grove we envisioned.
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The warm temperatures extended well into the fall and we got the rain we needed in October, so the lilacs settled in with a minimal amount of flagging. This week the grove is a winter wonderland. The lilacs are ready and waiting for spring ... next year's leaves and flowers tucked tight in their big fat buds.
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