I’ve had some time to detox since returning from the East Coast, and I’m now enjoying the spring in Utah. It’s BEAUTIFUL! Although the cherry blossom season is over in this area, the lilacs are still in full bloom, and you know how much I adore lilacs (my ode to Danish lilacs should embarrass me, but I’m shameless). Thanks to our unwittingly kind next-door neighbors, I was able to collect lilacs for each room of our home. Oopsies. Call me a thief without shame, but as much as I adore viewing flowers in their natural setting, I also think it would be a shame not to appreciate them indoors. Lilacs may be past their prime in California, but are they still blooming where you live? Utilize them to your advantage. Grab a few! Here are three arrangements that may be made with little floral arranging expertise.
1. A large vase filled with lilacs. Lilacs are gorgeous because they naturally fall in a lovely, complete fashion since they are clumpy. Mine is on my table so you can smell and enjoy it all.
2. A teeny small vase with a single lilac stem. I bought this “vase” from the neighborhood antique shop; it’s actually a battery jar from the original Thomas Edison company. Isn’t that cute? It’s not really visible because I put it on my owl side table, but it’s lovely and will eventually be seen.
3. A mug of lilac clusters. I removed every leaf from these lilacs and placed it in one of my recently purchased mugs designed by Michelle Christensen of My Little Belleville. These are the ones she paints and sells on her Etsy store.
Materials: To create this design, you’ll need a variety of vases of different sizes. I adore using jars, including the battery jars I described before, as well as mugs, cans, pickle jars, and jars for peanut butter. I only have one genuine Ikea vase. If you really want to be fancy, you’ll also need flowery tape, flower cutters, and lilacs. They succeeded without flowery tape, so I didn’t use it in this instance. To ensure that the flowers are evenly distributed, the floral tape is used to establish a grid over the tops of the jars.
The blooms should be arranged in a crisscross pattern with the successive stalks being inserted at an angle. They will maintain their shape thanks to this.
Easy peasy. Do you live somewhere where lilacs grow? Moving to DC, where they proliferate like weeds, was a shocker because I don’t recall ever seeing them in Orange County when I was a child.
How are lilacs displayed?
Every gardener appreciates the satisfaction of picking a few lovely sprigs from their own flowerbed to fill a vase. However, newly-trimmed lilacs are famously fickle, and by the time the day is done, lilacs in a vase frequently look wilted (or dead). However, don’t give up on the purple perennial. With the proper care and skills, you’ll be confidently cutting lilacs in no time, letting you to take advantage of their brilliant, erect flowers for days.
Clip Strategically
Early in the morning, when the lilacs are fully hydrated, is the ideal time to cut them. After cutting the stems with clean, precise pruning shears, immediately submerge them in a pail of water. To extend the stems’ vase life, cut them long so you can trim them again every few days.
Pick a Clean Vase
Pick a clean vase for the interior because dirt from previous arrangements or soap residue might damage cut flowers. Put your glassware through a cycle in the dishwasher or hand-wash it in a mixture of 90% water and 10% bleach.
Set Your Blossoms Up for Success
To prolong the life of your blooms, fill the vase with new water and add a floral preservative (available at flower shops). Remove all the leaves that will be submerged before adding the lilacs, leaving the topmost greenery unaltered for a larger arrangement. To increase the amount of surface area that water may soak into the stems, cut them at a 45-degree angle. After placing your lilacs in the vase, choose a location for them that has indirect lighting.
Freshen Things Up
Recut the stems at the same 45-degree angle every few days to avoid bacterial buildup that prevents the stems from absorbing water. To keep the water from withering and becoming murky, replenish it as needed.
One // Select flowers that are less than 3/4 bloomed
If you cut lilacs before they have finished blooming, they will keep better in a vase. Although my white bush looks lovely at half bloom, I prefer to harvest the majority of ours when they are around 3/4 blossomed. The vase life of these lilacs will be longer than if they were fully bloomed. Lilacs won’t open much after being picked, btw.
Two // Pick lilacs in the early morning or late evening
Lilacs should be harvested in the early morning or late evening and placed right away in a bucket of fresh, chilly water. This will guarantee that they are properly hydrated.
Three // Set cut lilacs in a dark room for a couple of hours before arranging
This was highly recommended by so many people, yet initially I was dubious. But it’s useful! Set your bucket of hydrating lilacs in a dark room (like a basement) for a couple/few hours and they’ll be ready to go.
Four // Remove most of the leaves
Take off most of the stems’ leaves. For some added green in my arrangements, I like to maintain a few leaves close to the flowers, but anything lower on the stem may contaminate the water. Additionally, because lilac bouquets tend to fill up quickly, fewer leaves are better.
Five // Cut the stems
The big one is this. Lilacs are a good example of a wooded plant that needs plenty of surface area to drink from. The stems should be lengthened, and then cut about an inch up the length, dividing the stem end (see pictures below). The lilacs also stayed hydrated when I tried cutting longer stems at a steep angle.
Six // Water daily
Lilacs require daily watering because they are thirsty plants. Every Spring, when I cut my first bouquet, I’m always aback by how rapidly these flowers absorb water. And still they do!
How much time can cut lilacs be kept in a vase?
The scent of lilacs drifting on the breeze is a sure sign that summer is approaching in Upstate New York. This weekend in Rochester’s Highland Park is the lilac festival! It is practically impossible for us to slip off the farm during this extremely busy time of the year, when field crops are being planted and calves are being born. Although there are over 500 different species of lilacs in Highland Park, I won’t be able to go this year.
Fortunately, we have three lilac plants in our yard, so I get to enjoy the lilacs for the incredibly short period of time they are in bloom. I often arrange a couple containers of cut lilacs for about the house. However, the average lilac bush only blooms for a few weeks each year, so these charmingly fragrant flowers don’t endure very long. The normal blooms barely last five days on average after being cut.
How can lilacs be prevented from wilting after being cut?
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Cut them in the morning or evening.
This enables them to contain the most water possible. They are far more likely to become dehydrated from the warm sun if you cut them at noon.
Cut them with sharp pruning shears.
Never try to cut them with a standard pair of scissors! To ensure a clean cut, use (or pick up) a pair of pruning shears.
To give the lilacs greater surface area to absorb water, cut them at a 45-degree angle.
When you go to cut the lilacs, bring a pail of chilly water with you into the garden. Put the stem in the water as soon as you cut it to prevent it from becoming dehydrated.
Remove excess leaves.
Removing excess leaves is beneficial for two reasons. Make sure to first remove any leaves from the vase you intend to use that would otherwise be submerged in the water. That will prevent your water from turning bad.
Second, some branches have a lot of extra leaves on them depending on the branch you cut. Just bear in mind that any leaves you keep will reduce the amount of water needed to keep your cut lilacs alive. I like to leave some leaves on for some extra green.
Get your vase ready!
Make sure your vase is tidy and big enough to hold your cut lilac flowers. Be careful since bases that are thin run the risk of falling over.
Fill it with flower food and warm water. Personally, I think it’s a great idea to get some flower food to keep on hand if you enjoy having fresh flowers in your home!
If you don’t have flower food, you can add a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of white vinegar, or a teaspoon of bleach to the water along with a sugary citrus soft drink to help manage bacteria. Other professionals advise using crushed aspirin instead of flower food to keep the water clean.
To prevent them from drying out and wilting too rapidly, keep your lilacs away of direct sunshine.
Split the bottom of the stems.
Split the bottom of the stems of your lilacs before placing them in the vase that you’re using. To do this, you can either use a hammer on the bottom (I suggest doing this outside to avoid damaging your table!). or use your shears to cut an x at the bottom.
This will make it possible for the stems to absorb more water, preventing your lilacs from wilting too soon.
Is keeping lilacs in the house unlucky?
Old-fashioned country customs are still alive and well, such hanging horseshoes and applauding magpies.
Two thirds of us can’t get through the day without making some kind of superstitious gesture, according to recent research. Why do we do it, though? Rural residences
Greeting a magpie recognizing and honoring the long-standing country superstition of magpies. One for sadness, two for pleasure is a saying that refers to the fact that they often pair for life. Because of this, seeing a single one is seen to be unlucky. People would give a respectful salute or remark aloud, “Good morning Mr. Magpie, I hope your family are well,” to fend off bad luck.
Never take lilac inside According to an ancient English legend, faeries favored lilac trees. Faeries were once greatly feared; wild and capricious, they were believed to kidnap individuals. You were taking a chance by putting lavender on show by inviting them inside. The Victorian era, when fragrant lilac flower was frequently utilized to mask the stench of disease and death, is another source of negative connotations. But it’s not all bad news; according to a different belief, gardeners invented the bad connections to deter people from stealing the lovely flowers!
According to Richard Webster in The Encyclopedia of Superstitions, because of their lengthy lifespan, oak trees were thought to bring longevity and protect against disease.
affix a horseshoe to the door. Since ancient times, horseshoes have been used as traditional home decor to presumably protect and provide good fortune to the family living there. The idea comes from a fable about a blacksmith by the name of Dunstan. He was approached by the Devil, who asked that he be fitted with fresh horseshoes. Dunstan, who was aware of his identity, painfully attached a horseshoe to his foot and only let him go when he vowed never to enter a house with a horseshoe placed over the entrance.
as in this? Visit the Country Homes & Interiors site for more rural design ideas.
What do lilac blossoms stand for?
Despite the fact that the species as a whole represents regeneration and confidence, each shade of lilac has an own meaning. Purple lilacs stand for spirituality, while white lilacs are symbolic of innocence and purity. Blooms that lean closer toward the blue end of the color wheel stand for joy and peace. Magenta lilacs stand for passion and love. Primrose, a golden type of lilac that was only introduced in 1949, is not frequently seen in American gardens and is not believed to have any symbolic significance.
What are lilac flowers used for?
1. Make them sweet for dessert. Lilacs are edible, so feel free to use them as a garnish on your sweets. Lilacs can be sprayed with a little water and then covered in granulated sugar after being newly harvested and thoroughly cleaned.
Top cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and other delicacies with them. And if you adhere to the aforementioned rules, they are absolutely delicious!
2. Make ice cubes out of them. Consider putting lilac blossoms in ice cubes if you are holding a baby or bridal shower. This will add taste to the ice tea or lemonade you are serving as well as some color to the cubes.
It’s incredibly lovely and adds a great touch, giving the impression that you have too much free time.
For even more color, combine them with pansies!
Have you seen my raspberry and mint-infused ice cubes? The recipe is located here!
3. Produce your own lavender honey.
Honey and lilacs make a lovely combination. You only need fresh lilacs and your preferred type of honey to produce your own lilac honey.
I adore using a brand like this one that is organic. Place the stems in the honey jar, cover it, and store it somewhere dry and cool for 4 weeks to infuse. This lilac honey tastes delicious on muffins, toast, and other baked goods.