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3 Reasons to Plant a Lilac Bush

Guess what y’all, Lilac’s are blooming in my yard and I didn’t even know I had planted a lilac bush. I found out they were lilacs a few years ago and now I think they are my favorite flower.

Today I’m sharing 3 Reasons I recommend planting a Lilac Bush even if it’s by accident. I love them so much that I’ve been splitting the original plant and spreading them around my yard. Here are some of the things I’ve learned after discovering I had a lilac bush. In addition, lilacs are so easy to arrange so I’m sharing some tips for enjoying them inside your home.

First, I’m so glad I made that mistake because I love filling a baskets full of these gorgeous blooms. I’m gathering as many as I can while they last.

How I accidentally planted a lilac bush

First, I have to fill you in on the back story. I had a landscape plan designed around our outdoor kitchen and using that plan, I purchased and planted all the recommend items. Fast forward, approximately 6 years and I cut some of the gorgeous blooms from what I thought was my Mystery Gardenia Plant. I made a beautiful arrangement and shared it on Instagram. I was quickly informed, by real gardeners, that those were lilac blooms and not mystery gardenia.

As you can see I’m not a master gardener but I know google and I did my research. Sure enough, they were lilacs and I was in love. LOL

In my defense, I had never seen a lilac bush and therefore, never knew about their wonderful fragrance. I also had not idea what a Mystery Gardenia looked like. LOL

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Reason one to plant a lilac bush

The number one reason you want to plant a lilac bush is harvesting those beautiful blooms each spring. They are hard to beat for making a gorgeous floral arrangement. I have them all over the house and greenhouse.

My favorite bowl from The French Farmer’s Wife filled with lilacs.
This rescued vintage ice cream churn looks lovely filled with the delicate blooms.
Nothing is better than a handmade basket filled with lilacs.

They smell wonderful

The second reason is they have the best fragrance. They make the area around our outdoor kitchen smell wonderful and when you bring them inside, wow. Right now my whole house smells great.


Number 3 – Lilacs are easy to care for

They are really easy to care for and each year they produce more and more blooms for you to enjoy. Here are a few things that have worked well for me.

  • Prune and shape your lilac bush immediately after the last blooms each spring. If you prune later, you will reduce your blooms for the next year.
  • A light pruning will prevent possible disease.
  • Never prune in the fall.
  • Don’t over fertilize. A small amount in early spring will be sufficient but not mandatory.
  • Beware that lilacs can grow into trees. If your space is limited, consider a dwarf variety. I accidentally planted the dwarf variety which is fortunate since my space is very limited.
  • You can easily split your lilac bush to spread the love around your property. See How to Split a Lilac Bush here. I now have 3 more lilac bushes and gifted two to friends, from these I split last spring.
How to Split a lilac bush.  Here are several shoots from this method.

The only negative about the lilac bush is that the blooms don’t last long enough. However, the bush has beautiful green leaves all summer long.

If you want expert advise on planting and pruning lilacs in your area, google has many detailed options and I found this great article.

YouTube Video

You can watch this video to see how I arranged the lilacs in a basket.

Do you see the apothecary cabinet in the back ground? You’ll never guess what it was originally. Click here for all the details.

I love the look of lilacs in a basket and the video shows how to make the arrangement while still nourishing the stems.

Favorite Plant for Blooms all Summer

If you are looking for a plant that blooms all summer long, my favorite is Geraniums. With proper care, you will enjoy blooms from early spring until late fall. See Best Tips to Keep Geraniums Blooming.

Ana Ochoa

Tuesday 11th of May 2021

I so wish we could grow these in SoCal!

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Friday 14th of May 2021

Ana, I understand they don't do well in very hot climates.

Denise

Monday 10th of May 2021

They are beautiful. We are planning an outdoor kitchen soon and I love the idea of one of these bushes.

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Monday 10th of May 2021

Oh you will love it.

Kris

Saturday 8th of May 2021

Here from Thistlekeeping. Lilacs are a longtime favorite of mine and look perfect in your charming home. The other thing I like about lilacs is the branch structure--even when all the leaves are off, I think they are pretty--and I find that the birds use them for cover--there, that makes two more reasons to love them!

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Sunday 9th of May 2021

Kris, Thank you so much for stopping by. Yes, the bush is a beautiful green for the yard after the blooms are gone. I hope you will keep checking back with me.

Jen

Thursday 6th of May 2021

Oh, I love lilacs! We had some at our old house and I missed them so much. You have encouraged me to try and plant some again!

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Sunday 9th of May 2021

Jen, You will love having them.

Shawna

Thursday 6th of May 2021

Your photos are absolutely beautiful! I love lilacs.

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Sunday 9th of May 2021

Shawna, Thanks so much