A peek into the history of Lilacia Park

A new Lombard Historical Society Carriage House exhibit, "To Be of Service to Flower Lovers," will give visitors a peek into the history of Lilacia Park's creation and information about the horticulture of the lilac.

The new exhibit features Marymae Meyer's extensive research, experience and knowledge about Lilacia Park's lilac collection.

Meyer, a longtime Lombard resident, also served two terms on the board of directors of the International Lilac Society.

Jean Cooper, Lombard Historical Society archivist, worked with Meyer to create the free exhibit that opened Wednesday and runs through June 1.

Museum hours are 1-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturdays, with special hours during Lilac Time.

The exhibit's name comes from the reason given by Col. William Plum on his application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture explaining why he wanted to import lilacs from Victor Lemoine of France.

Plum amassed more than 300 different lilac cultivars during his lifetime. Later, Lombard Park District worked with renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen to design Lilacia Park for future generations of flower lovers.

In 2011, visiting leaders of the International Lilac Society proclaimed Lilacia Park one of the best maintained lilac collections they had seen.

The new exhibit provides insight into the relationship of Plum and Lemoine, as well as the location of and details about the various species and cultivars of lilacs in Lilacia Park.

Over the course of three years, Marymae Meyer and horticulturist Jerry Budd inventoried, mapped and developed a botanically correct, computerized database of Lilacia Park's 100-year-old lilac collection. Meyer later donated the database, photographs and supplemental research to the park district.

Meyer also will present "Lilacs 101," a program for lilac lovers, in a Brown Bag Lecture at noon Wednesday, April 25, in the Carriage House.

The Lombard Historical Society operates the Victorian Cottage Museum at 23 W. Maple St. and the Sheldon Peck Homestead at 355 E. Parkside in Lombard. For more information on the Lombard Historical Society, visit www.lombardhistory.org, or call (630) 629-1885.