For Love of Lilacs

One of the things I look forward to every spring is the glory of lilacs - they are plentiful in Michigan yards and the fragrance is something you never forget.  I am blessed with a giant lilac next to my driveway and I inspect it every day once the buds form to see how the blooms will be.  I'm afraid our wonky weather this spring has done some damage - my blooms are few and small this year...

By comparison - here's a peek at last year's display...

And a bouquet from last year's spring bounty - the lilac, my Ms. Kim Lilac, snowball bush, columbines, and wild geraniums.

An up-close of the Ms. Kim - I had been waiting for 4 years for her to get big enough for the rabbits to leave her tips alone so she could bloom - I was not disappointed.  This year - nothing so far...

I do see some other folks have lilacs that are doing well - it seems to be those that are somewhat sheltered on the west side - so I'm curious to know how the early bloom and weather has affected the massive lilacs on Mackinaw Island.  The Island hosts its Lilac Festival typically in early June at the peek of the blooms.  With most of the state experiencing 80 degree temps in March, many of our plants were triggered at least a month early.  Then we've had more ups and downs and most recently, our nights are back to freezing.  We've also had an unusual number of high wind days which is an even bigger problem for lilacs than the cool-down.


Do you have lilacs?  How are they doing this year?  Comment below or share your pics with me on Twitter!