Lilacs celebrate spring

Nostalgia plays a strong role in most love affairs with lilacs.

Fans close their eyes and are transported to their own childhoods. That's what inspired the Rev. John L. Fiala, who wrote a book about lilacs sparked by memories of when he was 6 years old and experienced the shrubs at his grandmother's home in Michigan.

"In bloom they were a marvelous sight," says the author's note in "Lilacs: A Gardener's Encyclopedia" (Timber Press, $49.95), a new revision of Fiala's 1988 classic. "Heaven must be something like this, I thought. Ah, and their fragrance - like none other."

Autumn is a great time to plant lilacs so that when spring finally breaks we can enjoy their two big gifts: color and fragrance.

"They change their colors," said Roy Klehm, owner of Klehm's Songsparrow Farm & Nursery just over the state line in Avalon, Wis. "The buds start out quite dark, then in a couple days they are whole different colors and a couple more days more buds are different colors."

And in return, lilacs especially need two things: sun and good drainage, he said.

Besides the familiar shrubs, lilacs also grow on trees - tough, drought-resistant specimens often used in parkways.

Today dwarf shrubs are probably the most popular lilacs, especially with landscape architects and contractors, said Klehm, who knew the late author and is mentioned in the book.

But for those who have room, large old-fashioned French lilacs - so-called because the Lemoine family started breeding lilacs with double florets in 1870 near Nancy, France - are impressive alone or in small groups.

When lilacs are mentioned, suburbanites often think of Lilacia Park in Lombard - 8.5 acres of delight for fans. The approximately 200 varieties of lilacs usually put on their show the first few weeks in May. It's fun to walk or drive around the village then, too, because it's traditional for homeowners to purchase lilacs from the Lombard Garden Club.

A few new lilacs are planted each year in the park, said Jerry Budd, the park district's horticulturist. This fall they will include Clyde Heard with its magenta blooms.

The park was the estate of Col. William Plum and his wife, Helen. They settled in Lombard after the Civil War, and both died in the 1920s. He left their house to serve as the village library and the garden to be a park.

Budd's records only go back about 25 years, so he doesn't know if the Plums, who were lilac fans, planted any of the shrubs still standing. The park is also mentioned in "Lilacs."

Yes, this spring was a great lilac season, said Budd. The winter provided a lot of moisture, and the spring temperatures were cool, which extended the bloom time.

Lilacs have few pest problems. Neither Budd or Klehm considers the powdery mildew that they are prone to serious, and sunlight and air circulation alleviate it, said the Lombard horticulturalist.

One important tip: The time to prune lilacs is soon after they bloom because they will quickly start forming their new buds.

"It's hard to find many shrubs that can match lilacs for the scent," said Budd. "In Chicago everyone looks forward to spring and getting rid of winter."

Here are lilacs that Klehm likes:

•Beijing Gold or Syringa pekinensis Zhang Ziming is being introduced by Chicagoland Grows, a consortium of industry and educational facilities. Kris Bachtel, director of collections and facilities at Morton Arboretum in Lisle, received it from a colleague in China.

The tree is known for the yellow flowers that come in mid June, perhaps a month later than the shrubs we are used to, and as it ages the cinnamon-colored bark peels attractively, a boon to the winter landscape.

•Syringa reticulata Ivory Silk is a Japanese tree lilac with patterns on its bark that resemble cherry trees.

•Syringa vulgaris Little Boy Blue or Wonderblue is a dwarf introduced by Fiala. The single sky-blue florets develop from red-purple buds.

•Syringa vulgaris Atheline Wilbur blooms in double flowers in shades of pink, rose, lavender and violet. It was introduced by Fiala, and grows as tall as 12 feet.

•Syringa patula Miss Kim was discovered just after World War II in Korea. It can be kept small by pruning and grows single lavender blooms. The leaves turn maroon in autumn. Klehm introduced Miss Susie - a version of Miss Kim that blooms light pink.

Many different varieties of lilacs are available, and gardeners can select their favorites according to color, size and bloom time. Here are a few others to consider:

•Syringa vulgaris Belaya Noch, an important introduction from Russia, graces the front of the book "Lilacs" in its pink and lavender glory.

•Very few lilacs bloom after their flush in spring or early summer, but Josee is a small bush that claims some additional blooms during the season.

•Syringa meyeri Palabin is a dwarf on many favorites list. Its flowers are dark pink, and in autumn its leaves turn reddish bronze.