The Centennial Lilac Garden is located in Niagara Falls, which is only a short journey of 1 hour and 15 minutes from Toronto. The Lilac Garden is at its peak from late May to early June when its vivid purple, pink, and white flowers are in bloom, making it the ideal time to go.
More than 1,200 lilac plants in more than 200 different varieties can be found in the 10-acre garden! There aren’t this many lilac plants in one location anyplace else in Ontario, making this garden entirely unique to the province.
During what season do lilacs bloom?
Did you know that the National Gardening Bureau has designated 2022 as the “Year of the Lilac”? They have a sweet, eerie aroma and are among the easiest shrubs for your landscaping to maintain that bloom in the spring. Find out how to plant, nurture, and prune your lilacs.
About Lilacs
Syringa vulgaris, or common lilac, is prized for its tenacity, dependability, and scent. Lilacs are so hardy that they can live for more than 100 years and frequently outlive the houses they were planted near.
This tiny, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub (or tree) has approximately ten canes and blooms at eye level. The height of a common lilac can range from 8 to 12 feet, depending on the cultivar. The aromatic flowers attract butterflies and make good cuttings.
There are lilac types that come in white, cream, and even pink and yellow, though the blooms are typically lilac/purple in hue (ranging from very pale to extremely dark). Flowers can be solitary or double in number.
Lilacs bloom in northern states from mid- to late spring for around two weeks. However, there are lilac varieties for early, mid, and late seasons that, when cultivated together, guarantee a consistent bloom for at least six weeks.
Lilacs do best in soil that is fertile, humus-rich, well-drained, and neutral to alkaline (at a pH near 7.0). Add compost to your soil to improve it if it is in bad condition. (Learn more about adding amendments to the soil and getting it ready for planting.) Lilacs don’t enjoy having their feet wet and won’t blossom if they are kept too moist, so make sure the planting area drains well.
Lilacs should be planted in full sun, which is defined as having at least six hours of sunlight each day, for the finest blooms.
How to Plant Lilacs
- If you’re fortunate, a friend may offer you a sucker, or offshoot, of the plant’s root system. The sucker will first appear pitiful, but all you need to do is dig a hole, fill it with soil, and then insert the sucker. water next, and then wait. You’ll be rewarded with enormous, fragrant blossoms in 4 or 5 years.
- Lilacs purchased from nurseries can also be planted easily. If the plant was cultivated in a container, spread its roots out as you plant it; if it was balled or burlapped, gently remove the covering and any rope before doing so. Set the plant 2 to 3 inches deeper than it was while it was growing in the nursery and cover the roots with topsoil. in water Then add more topsoil to the hole to finish it.
- Depending on the kind, place multiple lilac bushes 5 to 15 feet apart.
- Apply a layer of compost under the plant each spring, followed by a layer of mulch to keep moisture in and weeds under control.
- If the weekly rainfall is less than 1 inch, water during the summer.
- If lilacs receive too much fertilizer, they won’t bloom. In the late winter, they can manage a few 10-10-10, but no more.
- Spread some lime and thoroughly composted manure around the base of your lilac bush once it has finished blooming. Remove suckers while you form the shrub by trimming it.
Pruning Lilacs
- Since lilacs blossom on old wood, it’s important to prune in the spring immediately following their bloom. You risk removing the wood if you prune later in the summer. A word of advice: It’s time to prune if your lilac flower clusters are getting smaller!
- After bloom each year, cut away any dead wood. Remove the oldest canes by pruning (down to the ground). Take out the tiny suckers. Reduce weak branches until a robust shoot remains. Reduce tall canes to eye level.
- Remove one-third of the oldest canes (down to the ground) in year one, half of the remaining old wood in year two, and the remainder in year three if your lilac is very old and in poor condition. Cutting the entire plant back to a height of approximately 6 or 8 inches is another option for elderly lilacs. Although it sounds dramatic, lilacs are remarkably resilient. This option’s drawback is that it takes some time for the hair to grow back. The lilac will grow back bursting with blooms, so there will be less work and more reward.
- It is important to understand that extreme trimming causes bloom loss for one to three years. For these reasons, a smart pruning program gives the bushes yearly attention in an effort to avoid making dramatic and severe cuts.
The Syringa vulgaris kind of lilacs is the most widely grown and fragrant:
- Try the double magneta variety “Charles Joly” for an early bloom.
- Lilacs in the middle of the season include “Monge,” a deep reddish purple, and “Firmament,” a delicate blue.
- Miss Canada, a reddish pink, and Donald Wyman, a solitary purple, are two late-season beauties.
Syringa x hyacinthiflora, an early-flowering lilac cultivar, opens 7 to 19 days before those of the common lilac. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to its fragrant blossoms.
The cutleaf lilac, a fragrant pale lavender, is one of the common lilacs that may flourish as far south as Zone 9. Common lilacs appreciate cold weather. The beautiful shrub Syringa patula ‘Miss Kim’ has light lilac-blue flowers that eventually become white.
There are tiny kinds for gardeners who simply don’t have the space for the conventional larger lilacs, particularly those in urban settings. Even in a container on your balcony or patio, they will grow.
- ‘Baby Kim’ has a lovely rounded shape, only grows 2 to 3 feet high (and 3 feet wide), and has purple flowers that draw butterflies. Hardiness from Zones 3 to 8 extended.
- Compact lilac ‘Little Lady’ (Syringa x) has dark pink buds that open to lilac-pink flowers and grows to be 4 to 5 feet tall and wide at maturity. Zones 2 to 7 are tough.
- Syringa vulgaris cultivars “New Age Lavender” and “New Age White” were developed for mildew resistance and are quite compact, growing from 4 to 5 feet tall and wide. Hummingbirds and butterflies are drawn to their fragrant blossoms. Zone 4 hardy.
How many times do lilacs bloom each season?
The late lilac is the leading contender for a long-lasting lilac that will bloom profusely throughout the warmer months of the year (Syringa villosa). As its name suggests, it blooms later than other types and produces fragrant white, pink, rosy lilac, violet, and even crimson blossoms. This lilac bush only has one summer bloom and enjoys direct sunlight.
Consider a reblooming lilac for your garden if you want consistent flowers. Lilacs that rebloom will first bloom in the spring, then rest until summertime when they will blossom once more. After their spring rest, certain types, such as the Bloomerang dark purple, will continue to bloom until the fall. Look for the Josee reblooming lilac (Syringa Josee), which intermittently flowers throughout the summer and into the fall, if you live in a warmer climate.
Do lilac bushes naturally occur in Ontario?
Al Purdy, a Canadian poet, was well-informed when he wrote “The entire universe/the whole damn world smells like lilacs. May is lilac month, an all-too-short time when you may step outside and instantly recognize what is in flower. Although lilacs are not native to Canada, many regions of the country associate them with the coming of summer. Here are some interesting facts about these late-spring beauties.
Early in the 17th century, the English term “lelacke was printed, but it is believed to have come from the Persian word “lilak, which means “bluish. Although lilacs originated in the Balkans, where they are now most common, they have spread throughout Europe and Asia thanks to trade routes. Additionally, despite not being a native of North America, it is not regarded as hostile (although it is technically invasive).
You might encounter clusters of lilac plants if you travel along rural roads. Lilacs don’t grow well in the wild, therefore those that appear to be in the middle of nowhere are usually the remains of a former farm or homestead.
Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris) belong to the Oleaceae family of flowering plants, which also includes olives, ash, and jasmine. There are roughly 21 species of lilacs in this family.
Lilacs occur in a variety of colors, including light purple, blue, pink, magenta, white, and bi-colored varieties in addition to the traditional shade of purple. Location, soil, climate, and the time of year are just a few of the variables that might affect shades. Every other year, lilacs often produce a lot of blossoms.
To reach their full potential, lilacs require at least six hours of sunlight daily. Additionally, they prefer somewhat alkaline, dry soil because they have trouble with moist feet. Lilacs are resilient plants that often grow well after they are planted. Dark purple flower cultivars will benefit from some shade because it will keep the dark color of the blossoms vivid.
With more than 745 plants, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ontario, has one of the largest collections of lilacs in the world. Visit the RBG in late May for the annual Lilac Festival for the best viewing (and smelling) opportunities.
In North America, lilacs have been a well-known flower since the middle of the eighteenth century. They were planted in the gardens of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, respectively.
Although lilac shrubs may grow up to 20 feet tall if left unchecked, keeping them between six and nine feet tall will keep blossoms around nose height. Even taller tree lilacs, such as the Peking tree lilac and the Japanese tree lilac, can be found.
Trim one-third of the oldest wood to the ground in the first year if you have an old or underperforming lilac shrub. Take away half of the remaining wood the following year. Remove the remaining old wood in the third year.
Isabella Preston, Canada’s first female hybridizer, crossed Syringa villosa and Syringa komarowii to create the Preston lilac. Compared to normal lilacs, Preston hybrids have late flowering and are significantly larger shrubs. Since they were developed for the Canadian environment, they are also incredibly hardy.
Depending on the weather, a lilac’s perfume might alter throughout the year. In contrast to a hot season, a chilly spring and summer will provide a different aroma.
According to a 2004 study, people with mild to moderate cognitive impairment can predict whether they will eventually develop Alzheimer’s disease by their inability to recognize popular scents including lilac, lemon, strawberry, and leather.
Does Toronto have lilac blooms?
Lilacs are prized for their exquisite colors and divine scent, so seeing them in full bloom ought to be at the top of any flower lover’s wish list.
And as luck would have it, the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) in Burlington have begun their official lilac season, which is a sight to behold.
If you still need your spring flower fix, head just under an hour west of the city to find one of the world’s largest, most breathtaking, and unique collections of lilacs in full bloom.
Lilacs bloom twice a year, right?
Compared to other lilac trees, bloomerang lilac trees are more compact, reaching a short height of 4-6 feet tall and a spread of 4-6 feet, giving them a pleasing, rounded appearance. Their long, arched branches bear their veined leaves, which are bright green for the majority of the year until turning yellow in the fall.
The characteristic 4-petaled, 4-6 inch deep lilac-purple blooms on bloomerang lilac trees appear starting in May, cease blooming in June, and then return in July through the first frost of the year.
Specifications
With tall, arched branches, a compact and rounded shape, and rich green foliage that turn golden in the fall. Four spread petals, 4-6 inch, lilac-purple flowers that bloom in the spring and later in the summer.
Why hasn’t my lilac bush bloomed?
A. There are a number of potential causes for your lilac’s failure to blossom. Lack of sufficient sunlight is the main culprit. Lilacs (Syringa) should be planted in an area with at least six hours of direct, bright sunlight per day. They can withstand a wide range of moisture levels as long as they are grown in soil with good drainage.
If your lilac is clipped at the wrong time of year, it might not blossom for another reason. Lilacs bloom in the spring on the growth from the previous year, and soon after, they begin to form the buds for the following year. Within a few weeks of the plant blooming, pruning must be done simultaneously with the removal of the wasted flowers in order to prevent the removal of the buds for the following year. A late freeze can harm flower buds on types that bloom early.
Lilacs have a tendency to mature into overgrown, leggy shrubs with minimal foliage at the bottom. When this occurs, it might be required to prune them to within 12 inches of the ground in order to completely rejuvenate them. When the shrubs are dormant in late winter, this should be done. Lilacs benefit from this repair, although their blooming cycle will be hampered for at least one season. Lilacs can receive a rejuvenation pruning over a two-year period to stop the interruption of bloom cycles. Half of the shrub’s stems should be hard pruned the first year, and the remaining stems the following year.
Lilacs do not consume a lot of food. Excessive fertilization, particularly nitrogen fertilizer, can frequently promote luxuriant vegetative growth at the expense of flower development. A lilac’s failure to bloom could potentially be due to its proximity to turf that receives frequent fertilization.