Among the most fragrant blooms of spring are the colorful lilacs, Syringa vulgaris. My allée of lilac hedges is just exploding with gorgeous, sweet-smelling clusters.
I love lilacs and have enjoyed growing them for many years. In fact, the common lilac has been part of the American landscape for centuries. Lilacs planted in 1650 on Michigan’s Mackinac Island are some of the oldest known in the country. If you don't already have lilacs in your garden, I encourage you to grow one, or two, or even three shrubs - they will give you years of beautiful blooms.
Enjoy these photos.
I planted this allée of lilac more than 15-years ago and it has thrived ever since. It is located behind my chicken coops not far from my tennis court. Lilacs are easy to grow, and can reach from five to 20-feet tall or more depending on their variety.
The lilac, Syringa vulgaris, is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae. Syringa is a genus of up to 30-cultivated species with more than one-thousand varieties.
Lilacs come in seven colors: pink, violet, blue, lilac, red, purple, and white.
The bold lilac colors look pretty against the vibrant green foliage. Lilac leaves are simple, opposite, ovate, about two to four inches long, and usually shaped like elongated hearts.
Lilacs have pyramidal clusters of blossoms with both single and double types – all with the same glossy green leaves.
‘Sensation’, first known in 1938, is unique for its bicolor deep-purple petals edged in white on eight to 12-foot-tall shrubs.
This lilac variety is white. Lilacs were introduced into Europe at the end of the 16th century from Ottoman gardens and arrived in American colonies a century later. To this day, it remains a popular ornamental plant in gardens, parks, and homes because of its attractive, sweet-smelling blooms.
And do you know… lilacs were grown in America’s first botanical gardens? Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew them.
As part of our maintenance program, we edge the lilac beds. These beds are rectangular in shape. Here’s Pete making very straight lines along both sides. The blade of the edger can be adjusted to a cutting depth of up to four inches.
Over the course of the year, grass and weeds grow at these edges, so it’s a good idea to go over the areas regularly.
The extraneous vegetation between the cut edging line and the mulched bed is removed with a hoe or long handled cultivating fork.
Here is an area edged and cleared. It looks so much better. Edging the beds gives them a beautiful finishing touch. Next, we’ll add a three inch layer of mulch grown right here at my farm.
I always take note of what areas need filling and add plants to those areas gradually. This year, we’re adding 15-lilacs to the garden. They are all from Monrovia and include ‘Yankee Doodle,’ ‘Lavender Lady,’ ‘Betsy Ross,’ and ‘Old Glory.’
Pasang digs the hole for one of our new lilacs. Lilacs appear from mid-spring to early summer just before many of the other summer flowers blossom. Young lilacs can take up to three-years to reach maturity and bear flowers – be patient.
Pasang scarifies the root ball, making intentional cuts to stimulate growth.
By planting an assortment, bloom time will be staggered and can last for up to two months. Just be sure to plant lilacs in full sun, which is necessary for good blooming. The soil should be moist, well-drained, and humus-rich. Lilacs cannot tolerate “wet feet” or wet roots. Soil that is average to poor with a neutral to alkaline pH is also preferred. Established plants will tolerate dry soil, but newly planted shrubs need to be kept moist for the first year until their roots are set.
Most lilacs thrive in hardiness zones 3 through 7, in cooler climates with chilling periods. Lilacs are typically clump forming, producing new shoots from the base of the trunk, which can be used for propagating.
And always choose a planting space that will allow for the plant’s mature height and spread. This tip applies to all perennials.
And here’s Ryan feeding the lilacs. Lilacs respond vigorously to regular and liberal amounts of fertilizer. One to two large handfuls of a 5-10-5 granular fertilizer will enhance growth and flowering.
Lilacs should be pruned each year shortly after blooming has completed. At that time, remove spent flowers, damaged branches, and old stems, but never prune after July 4th because at that point, the tree has already begun to set next year’s buds.
When cutting, cut the lilacs right at their peak, when color and scent are strongest, and place them in a vase as soon as possible. The purple lilacs have the strongest scent compared to other colors.
Here’s a view looking south. Lilacs have been well-loved by gardeners for so many years. They are tough, reliable, and ever so fragrant. I hope this inspires you to grow lilac, the “Queen of shrubs.” It will quickly become one of your favorites in the garden.
Adding just one type of tree, bush, or plant can totally transform a space.
I enjoy planting interesting and beautiful specimens that add texture and beauty at different times throughout the year. I also like arranging groups of certain plantings to create borders, allées and appealing displays. Last week, I purchased six Ginkgo biloba Goldspire™ Obelisk trees from Select Horticulture Inc. in nearby Pound Ridge, New York. I knew these narrow upright tower trees would look excellent on both sides of my pool. They were delivered, positioned, and planted right away - and they look just perfect.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
There is always so much happening at my Bedford, New York farm. On this day, six Ginkgo biloba Goldspire™ Obelisk trees arrived. Select Horticulture Inc. secures their trees excellently for transport – they came in perfect condition.
Ginkgo Goldspire™ is a highly ornamental, non-fruiting male tree originating in Italy. It has a very upright, tight fastigiate habit, and the foliage tends to be smaller than other species.
Once the trees are delivered, each one is positioned inside the pool area. Each grows about one to two feet per year and prefers mostly sun and well-drained soil.
New foliage on the Ginkgo Goldspire™ emerges a rich shade of green, fan-shaped, and slightly curled. It keeps its color through summer, then turns buttery shades of yellow and gold in autumn before dropping.
I placed wooden stakes where I wanted the trees to go.
My outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, measures the locations and then uses white landscape paint to mark a circle where each tree will be planted. These specimens should have at least 10-feet of space between them.
Chhiring goes over the circle line with our Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. The sod cutter goes over the lines smoothly and deeply.
There are different types of sod cutters, but they all essentially cut grass at the roots so entire sections of sod can be removed to expose the bare ground underneath.
Here is the new cleared out area. This will become the tree pit.
All six circles are done in the same way. It’s important to get these trees into the ground before the grass underneath the waiting trees gets burned – it’s been unseasonably warm this week.
The team begins digging. The holes must be pretty wide – each one should be at least two to five times as wide as the root ball, but no deeper than the root ball. Once in the hole, the top of the root ball should just be slightly higher than the soil surface. The hole sides should also be slanted. Digging a proper hole helps to provide the best opportunity for roots to expand into its new growing environment.
A good fertilizer made especially for new transplanted specimens should always be used. This is Miracle-Gro Shake ‘N Feed Flowering Trees and Shrubs Plant Food. A generous amount of the fertilizer is mixed in with the nutrient-rich soil.
Then each tree is placed into its designated hole. When moving heavy specimens, only hold it by the root ball, the base and trunk of the planting – never by its branches, which could easily break. Once the Ginkgo is in its hole it is turned so it is straight and its best side is facing the pool.
This part of the process is very important. Chhiring stands at a distance to make sure the tree is positioned properly. Always look at the specimen from all sides, especially from where it will be seen most often. And because these trees are specially shaped with straight sides, they must all be turned just right, so the sides match.
All the trees are positioned first before any backfilling is done, so adjustments can be made. These trees are now all in the ground and positioned correctly.
The burlap and metal cage wrappings help to support the root ball during loading, shipping, and transplanting. Some leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove everything completely, so there is nothing blocking the growing roots.
Finally, the crew backfills the holes until they are properly filled. And remember, don’t plant it too deeply – always leave it “bare to the flare.”
Phurba tidies up the tree pit and makes sure there is good contact between the tree and the surrounding soil.
Here are three of the Ginkgo Goldspire™ Obelisk trees on one side. The term “obelisk” refers to the tall, four-sided, narrow tapering which ends in a pyramid shape at the top.
And here is a view looking south. The trees look so beautiful with the staddle stones at one end. I am looking forward to seeing these Ginkgo biloba Goldspire™ Obelisk trees develop and flourish.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I have so many peonies! I cannot wait for them all to bloom.
I adore peonies and have been growing them for quite some time. I have a long tree peony border planted under the semi-shade of giant sugar maples. I have a giant bed completely dedicated to pink and white herbaceous peonies across the carriage road from my home. I have tree peonies and Itoh peonies in the formal sunken garden behind my Summer House. Late last year, we planted 75 bare root peony divisions in what will be my new cutting garden adjacent to my chickens. And this week, I decided to add a selection of peonies to the flower garden just outside my main greenhouse - a couple of them have already started to show off their gorgeous blossoms.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Earlier this month, I received a large assortment of plants from the wholesale nursery, Monrovia. Among them, a lovely selection of peonies in white, yellow, apricot, coral, and various shades of pink.
I decided they would all look best in my perennial flower cutting garden. Every year, I add more and more plants to this space that would look pretty both outdoors and as cut flowers inside my home.
Before starting my busy day, I placed every potted peony where it should be planted. Peonies should be spaced about three feet apart where they can get at least six hours of full sun daily.
The peony is any plant in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America. Peonies are one of the best-known and most dearly loved perennials – not surprising considering their beauty, trouble-free nature, and longevity.
Here is a flower bud just days from opening. This is a double peony called ‘Paul M. Wild.’ In this garden, we are adding both herbaceous and Itoh peonies. Itoh peonies are hybrids of herbaceous peonies and tree peonies. Dr. Toichi Itoh, a Japanese botanist, was the first person to successfully combine the pollen from a tree peony with the ovary of an herbaceous peony in the 1940s.
The leaves of many peonies are pointed with a shiny, deep green color – some with a tinge of dark purple.
Each hole is at least twice the size of the plant. Peonies are best planted in rich, well-drained soil.
Once the holes are dug, the potted plants are placed into them to ensure they are the right size. These holes are about a foot-and-a-half deep and wide.
Our NYBG gardening intern, Matthew Orrego, sprinkles a good amount of fertilizer in the hole and on the surrounding soil. I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.”
For these plants, we’re using Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Rose & Bloom fertilizer which contains micronutrients and natural ingredients, to nourish above and below the soil. Itoh peonies are sensitive to high levels of nitrogen, so when fertilizing in spring and summer, be sure to use a fertilizer that contains a low level of nitrogen.
Matthew mixes the fertilizer with the existing soil in the hole.
Next, he gently releases the plant from its container – these peonies are in excellent condition.
And uses a Hori Hori knife to make intentional root cuts that will encourage growth. He does this to the sides all around the pot…
… and then to the bottom of the root ball.
Here he is placing the peony into the hole – the exposed bottoms of the stems should just be level with the ground.
Matthew then backfills the hole and tamps down to make sure it is packed in firmly.
Some of the varieties planted in this garden include this herbaceous ‘Shirley Temple’ double peony with white blooms and a hint of rose surrounded by lush glossy green foliage. (Photo by Doreen Wynja for Monrovia)
This is ‘Bartzella’ Itoh peony. It features extra-large, vibrant yellow blooms. The outer layers are a lighter lemon meringue color, becoming a more rich yellow toward the center. And tucked within the fluffy blossoms are flares of red. ‘Bartzella’ also has a slightly spicy aroma. (Photo by Doreen Wynja for Monrovia)
The ‘Julia Rose’ Itoh peony shows gorgeous, large, double flowers in soft apricot with blended reddish purple tips and yellow centers. (Photo by Doreen Wynja for Monrovia)
And ‘Paul M. Wild’ is a herbaceous peony with velvety, ruby-red, fully double blooms. (Photo by Doreen Wynja for Monrovia)
This peony is the first to to start blooming. The ‘Pink Ardour’ Itoh Peony has large, semi-double flowers in bold pink, with a dark yellow stamen in the center.
When properly planted and cared for, these fragrant specimens can live for 100 years or even more. Soon, my farm will be filled with more blooming peonies than ever before – I’ll be sure to share photos!
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
