I count the passing of the seasons by what’s happening in my garden.  I know spring is near when the witch hazel blooms.  Then the snow recedes, and the snowdrops appear.  Daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs follow.  When the early flowers bloom, the air takes on their fragrance, but none are as fragrant as the lilacs.

Lilac flowers–buds opening.

For about two far-too-short weeks in May, the row of lilacs (Syringa vulgaris) bordering my yard puts on a show for the senses.  Cone-shaped clusters of tiny light purple flowers cover the branches.  Bees and butterflies visit.  Their sweet fragrance fills the air, and I am in springtime heaven. 

I pick some lilacs to bring indoors every year, just to have them closer and so the fragrance will come indoors even when the windows are closed to keep out the rain and cooler nighttime temperatures.  This year, I’m thinking about harvesting some of the flowers to try in a recipe or two.  I came across one the other day for lilac and lemon shortbread cookies.  Sounds tasty.  Maybe I’ll try my hand at making lilac jelly.  I’ll definitely try preserving some for use later on.  Whatever I do, I know the window of opportunity is brief and dependent on Mother Nature’s whims.

Along the lilac row, weeds have taken full advantage of all the rain.

Case in point:  The fabled “April showers” arrived in May this year.  The rain began late on Friday, and it’s rained every day since.  Today (Wednesday) the rain has mostly stopped, but the garden is too soggy to work in.  Oh, I like rain.  I enjoyed listening to the thunder and rain on Saturday, but I prefer a bit of a reprieve in between drenchings.   

The plants outside my window are loving the soaking.  So much has changed over the past few days.  Everything is green. Well, almost.  The red-leafed Japanese maple is showing her colors, as is the King Crimson maple—a gift to my mother for her birthday decades ago.  My father planted the tiny, potted tree close to the house where she could watch it grow and eventually sit in its shade.  I’ve added seating there.  It’s the perfect place to listen to the birds and unwind.

Lilacs

All around the yard, leaves are unfurling, flowers are blooming, and weeds are growing (and growing and growing).  Among my favorites is the azalea, its bright pink flowers a beacon in the ocean of green.  Not to outdone are the bleeding hearts with their graceful boughs of red flowers hanging below; the hellebores, their flowers a dusty pink above leathery green leaves; and the many creeping phlox plants, evergreens that have made a striking recovery after a tough winter and are now covered in lavender and pink flowers .  The apple trees are fully in flower, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed we’ll be frost-free.  And, of course, there are the tulips and daffodils, bridging the days of early and middle spring.   

Most surprising, however, is how quickly the lilacs are progressing.  On Friday, leaf buds were just opening and the flowerheads were tightly clenched purple buds.  Today, the row of lilacs is fully leafed out and the flowers have begun to open.  I can’t wait to breathe in their fragrance.

More lilacs

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