My lilac is in partial sun and is doing just fine (of course, it would probably bloom better if I watered it!). They can take a lot of abuse. See what it does next spring - it'll either be worth keeping or it won't. But if it's too big for the space, why not just yank it instead of having to constantly whack it back to keep it in check?
Just my thoughts, good luck!

Hi Transplant,

I absolutely, positively guarantee you didn't kill it! As a matter of fact, if you decide you want to get rid of it, you'll find out just how difficult lilacs are to kill or completely get rid of. About 30 years ago I moved into a house with a very old, huge, half dead lilac that was also in a very small yard. Having heard that lilacs could be rejuvenated, I cut the whole thing down to less than a foot above the ground. It took about three years, but I eventually wound up with a pretty nice bush with good flowers again--though it was still too big for the yard once it really started growing again. Since the pruning you already did probably means you won't get any flowers next spring anyway, if you want to try to "refresh" it, it seems to me that now would be the time to do it. By cutting it all the way down, you get rid of all the branches that are bare on the bottom and grow new branches and foliage from the ground up. Very likely you will not get any flowers at all for at least 2 years. You may also find that some of the dead wood in the middle has been dead long enough that it's become rotten enough that you can break out the dead branches, opening up space in the center for new growth. To see, just push them back and forth to see what happens. If they're rotten they should break off fairly easily, and if they're still healthy you won't hurt them. Remember that what's left of the branches you cut down will be there for years, so the lower you cut, the less visible they will be. By the way, I have a honeysuckle bush in the yard where I live now that I WANT to get rid of, so a couple weeks ago I cut it just a few inches above the ground----and it's coming back with a vengeance!!! Guess I'll have to use Roundup! If I let it grow I'd wind up with a beautiful bush again, but, like you, I have a very small yard (again!) and I want to make room for more perennials.

If you want room for perennials and other things, I completely agree with Amester, why not just get rid of it and spend the winter happily planning for what you're going to do with that spot next spring. If you decide you want to keep it, I recommend you thoroughly hydrate the soil in the area by laying a hose that's just barely trickling right in the middle of the base of the bush and leave it run for a couple hours. With the drought we've had for the last few years, this should give it a real boost whether you decide to cut it down or not.

Happy gardening,
Skybird

I have about 50 odd lilacs and a 150 or so honeysuckle that I initially planted as a hedge. I planted too many, too close togeather. I am haunted by lilacs and honeysuckle.

What Skybird said re lilacs, in particuclar getting rid of the dead, and or really big branches in the middle. I do this when the leaves are off as its easier to see whats what. To get rid of the lilac, I'd cut it off as low as possible and then spray repeatedly with roundup. It can take a while as there are multiple stumps.

Re honeysuckle bushes, to get rid of them, cut them down in the winter and then drill a couple of holes with the biggest drill bit you have, and then pour the straight roundup concentrate on the stump.

Mine was damaged by snow two years ago, so last fall I:

1. Removed every branch thicker than 1.5"
2. Cut 2/3rds of the remaining branches off at the ground
3. Pruned what was left to about 4 feet

It looked dopey all spring and summer, but is a more normal shape now. The "lilac expert" tells me to expect a better crop of flowers next spring.

I was aiming for a restorative pruning, so I cut the large branches as close to the ground as I could with my pathetic little saw, and cut the 1" and thinner branches to about 30" in height. There does seem to be patches of lilac shoots popping up several feet away from the shrub that I can seem to get rid of, so maybe I didn't kill the thing afterall! If I do end up ditching it, what would grow good in partial sun? This spot stays covered in snow for several weeks in the winter, so it gets plenty of moisture.

I thought about digging the whole thing up to make room for more perennials, but I'm working on two other areas right now as well. In the front of my house, facing South, are two unidentified shrubs that grow ridiculously fast, have to be pruned several times every summer, and make my arms itch if I touch them! They have clusters of white blossoms which turn into pea sized white berries. I'll try and post a picture to see it anyone knows what they are. My plan is to replace them with an ornamental grass, maybe "Shenandoah", but I was told to wait until spring to plant that.

Last week I pulled up an enormous rose bush in another area that was also too big for the space, and replaced it with a Russian Sage. I still had room left over, so I've ordered a couple of Coreopsis "Creme Brulee".

With all the plans and progress I've been making in the flower beds, my yard itself is a mess, but that's another forum, and another long story.

I promise you, most of us are in some variation of the "mess" stage! I have valerian, catmint and twinspur all in partial shade and they do really well (I'm lazy too - I don't like to baby things, my entire front yard is all xeric perennials and I spend maybe 15 minutes a month on maintenance). What size plant/color of flower/etc. are you hoping for? You might try to take advantage of that water, though - as you're probably discovering, found water is nothing to be sneezed at!

With this location being in the corner, I was thinking something of putting something 3-5' tall in the back, as long as it isn't something that will spread and take over. Maybe an ornamental grass, or a much slower growing shrub than the lilac. Then put a couple of 15"-24" perennials in front. If there is room I'll have a third shorter row. By the way, this area gets mostly morning sun.

I looked up the catmint, haven't used it before, but I like the look of it. Reminds me of purple Salvia, but hopefully without the reseeding problem. Could not find valerian, is there another name for that?

I don't know which valerian Amester has, but if it's Valeriana officinalis, here's a link to lots of pictures. But Centranthus ruber can also be referred to as red valerian, so that might be the one she has. Both of them should do fairly well in part sun.

I'm looking for a LARGE perennial for the spot where I'm getting rid of the honeysuckle, and am looking forward to getting a Joe Pye Weed going next spring (Eupatorium maculatum 'Gateway'). They get about 5' tall and have large clusters of rosy purple flowers in late summer. I absolutely love the stuff! If you have at least all morning sun you should have enough for it to do well for you, but it will need regular watering in summer. And it also looks good with many of the ornamental grasses.

If there's no hot midday or early afternoon sun, Trollius (globeflower) should do well. They come in yellow and a very unique orange and bloom mid to late spring. The foliage stays low and the flowers--which are also very unique--stand well above it at about 3 feet, but they don't need staking.

And, like Amester says, don't worry about the mess! You have a lot of company! Take a few minutes each day to stand and admire what you've accomplished. The mess will eventually take care of itself!

Skybird

P.S. David, 200 shrubs?!! Yikes! You should prune them into a maze and charge admission! ;-) And, thanks for the hint on how to get rid of the honeysuckle.

Here is a link that might be useful: Valeriana officinalis

The Joe Pye Weed might be a bit large for this spot, but I saw a "Little Joe" which the website said is only 4' tall. I wonder if that would look nice with some Sedum "Autumn Joy" in front?

I think they'd look real nice together. If you do decide to get the 'Little Joe' Joe Pye Weed, plan to leave the flowers dry on the plant for winter interest like you'd do with ornamental grasses. (Do that with the 'Autumn Joy' too) Another late summer/fall bloomer that would be a good form and color contrast combination with these is goldenrod, Solidago. Here's a link to a picture of one of the short ones, 'Golden Fleece'. (This is not the stuff that causes allergies! That's ragweed!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Solidago spacelata 'Golden Fleece'

My valerian is the centranthus ruber, a friend has it all over her yard so I get lots of freebies (it looks quite similar to the officinalis photos that Skybird posted, but the blooms are reddish pink in color). My catmint hasn't self seeded and it's been in for two years. I get more comments on it than anything else. I have the "Walker's Low" variety but there are lots of great ones out there.
Good luck, let us know how everything turns out!

Well, it looks like you may have to wait until spring to hear how it turns out. The place I was going to order the "Little Joe" from won't have it until Oct. 1, and that's too late to plant around here.

The problem is when it's 95 degrees, I don't want to be in the garden. Then, once it's comfortable outside, you only have a very short window to do your fall planting. The first year I moved here, we had several inches of snow the third week in September!