Withstanding such cool temperatures this late in the season (we have long since passed the frost-free date, but it feels like every night could threaten to dip below freezing) has but one benefit: flowers that would typically bloom and expire quickly in the heat have lasted far longer than usual. Daffodils in particular have been in bloom for weeks, showing no signs of expiration or deterioration. Add the lilacs to this extended parade of perfume and prettiness, and the cooler weather suddenly doesn’t feel so bad.
Andy asked if we could get one more bouquet out of this season’s crop, so I went out early in the morning and clipped these from one of the descendants of the original Lilac bush that his Mom gifted to us two decades ago. From that single bush in our backyard, we now have several patches of them, and their suckers are ever-encroaching on the lawn. This variety, a double for more perfume and pizzazz, seems to do particularly well in this area. I may transplant a few more to the side yard, part of a sunny bank where not much else grows well. We have to use our pretty warriors to our advantage.
