Darn it, that trip won't happen this year.

16 years ago

Meadowlark Hill, where there are over 800 varieties of lilacs was clobbered by our 5Â° temperature in April. Max, the owner told me that 80% of the lilacs were damaged to the point that they lost their buds and didn't or won't bloom this year. We will miss that trip and the sensory sensation from observing and SMELLING the many thousands of lilacs.

The late hard freeze took all the buds off our tree peonies and the tulips laid flat on the ground and tried to open but it didn't happen. It may have killed all the crown imperials because they were just opening and then the frost hit. The foliage turned brown, then black and shriveled up so there won't be any leaves to nourish the bulb, hmm or is it a corm, no, don't think so. The herbaceous peonies are doing very well and we should have plenty of bloom from them of course the fruit trees won't have any fruit this year, buds are turned black and fell off. So, we are freezing lots of rhubarb and making a lot of rhubarb sorbet which we love, good served in a dish of rhubarb vanilla compote How did I get from lilacs to rhubarb? Better quit before I wind up somewhere and can't back out.

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Comments (8)

pamven
16 years ago
Our lilacs and crabs perfomed at 1/2 mast this spring. I wont complain because at least we got 1/2 of a show. Im not sure how the local fruit growers faired but i heard not all will be lost. Maybe not a bumper crop but what does come on will be larger than usual. Sad state of affairs with the freezes and lack of honey bees...
mwoods
16 years ago
Sorry about that George. I remember your trip there last year and can't imagine how wonderful it would be to smell all those lilacs. Almost intoxicating I would think. One of my greatest pleasures in the early summer are the blooming hydrangeas. I have a lot of them but this year some of them won't have flowers at all because of the hard freeze we had not long ago. I'm really going to miss those enormous blue puff balls.I have a big bunch of dried blue ones from last year on the mantle so guess they will have to do
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jazmynsmom
16 years ago
Gandle, I am profoundly sorry for the loss of those buds. I know how important the lilac blossoms in particular are to you and Leonne, and I envy you your proximity to such a collection, even if it is an off year.

I was actually thinking of you this morning on my garden walk with Izzy (pictured below). Your postings have forever linked you in my mind with lilacs, and my little dwarfs are just beginning to open up. It was raining ever so lightly, and the lilacs were opening in the background while my tree peonies were opening in the foreground. The smell was amazing. (It was strong and pleasant enough to even mask the scent of "Eau de Wet Dog.")

There are three different tree peonies in this picture: The one in the background has purple-y foliage, the one in the foreground has green foliage and identical flowers, and there is one lone bud snaking up on the left... this is the plant that Izzy chewed to the ground when she was a little bitty puppy, and after nearly three years, it is finally blooming for the first time ever... I have no idea what color it will be.

I am sorry I do not know the html coding to post Scratch 'n Sniff photos, or I would.

{{gwi:160854}}

I envy you your rhubarb success. I got some clumps from my sister a couple years ago from plants that have been in my family for generations. I shared them with a neighbor, who planted them in a pile of compost and now has an amazing crop, and planted mine and forgot to water them. They're still (barely) alive, but won't be harvest-worthy for at least another year.

Again, I am very sorry about the frost damage. Those of us who experience winter to the fullest extent should be entitled to every aspect of spring too. The promise of impending seasonal euphoria is the one thing that keeps me going during the dark months.

Perhaps this is nature's gentle way of making you rest your hands? Heaven knows you'd be picking fruit and flowers if they were there. Take it easy, and rest up for fall canning season! The cold may have zapped the apples and such, but you'll still have tomatoes, peppers, and all that lot to look forward to!
gandle
Original Author
16 years ago
That's beautiful Michelle, Izzy is quite well camoflaged and blends in well with the gorgeous background.
tibs
16 years ago
My lilacs were sparse this year. The tough old standby shrubs that have probably been here since the house was built ('22), the Van Houten Spirea and the Deutzeas, got blasted by the cold. Buds all black on both and the leaves fried on the Deutsea. They both made a come back, a few blooms on the D's and more on the Van H.

When I was at college thre was still most of the remains of a lilac shaded walk, planted by someone from the clase of the 20's or 30's. It was a joy in spring. Guess with all the expansion at the college they are gone.
andie_rathbone
16 years ago
Oh Jaz, those lilacs & peonies are making me homesick for the north!! Those lovely blooms just don't east down here. As for rhubarb, even the grocery store down here has never heard of it. I actually went to the grocery when I was in St. Louis last week so I could bring some home.
macbirch
16 years ago
What a gorgeous picture.
oakleif
16 years ago
Michelle, what a beautiful picture. I hope you don't mind, i copyed it and put it up on my bullitan board here beside me.
Izzy looks like he has some serious thoughts.
My lilacs got bit in full bloom so i enjoyed them for a couple of days.
vickie

Darn it, that trip won't happen this year.

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Darn it, that trip won't happen this year.

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