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Gardening in the UK

Lilacs blooming?

21 years ago

Greetings! I'm in California, but will be traveling next week (May 1-8) to London with my mother, who is very fond of lilacs, which don't grow in these parts. Is it too early yet to find them blooming anywhere near London? Thanks very much for your help!

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Comments (6)

Suiko
21 years ago
In London they will now be in flower, with the effects of global warming. Probably next weekend here in Oxford and other areas of southern England.
garden_nerd
21 years ago
Should be out in a week or ten days in Leicester.
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It's probably totally normal. There are some varieties of lilac that do repeat ("Miss Kim," for instance). The second bloom will be much smaller than the first, like you're seeing now.
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My daughter's college graduation was on May 14 2004, and she had a vase on her table with fresh-cut lilacs. We are a little further south in Bedford County, but the bloom time should be very close. I would think you can expect flowers around the middle of May. Hope this helps.
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you can barely killed these things ... where are you.. big city name... include such in every post ... all if this is related to last falls transplant ... and perhaps a cold event this spring ... planting the clem is not relevant ... and fert you added this spring is not relevant ... but could impact next year.. IF YOU DUMPED A WHOLE BAG OF FERT AROUND IT ... a little of this or that rarely is a problem ... basically.. you cut off probably 90% of its roots ... and its going to take a year or two to recover.. and regrow those lost roots .. you will not speed it up with fert ... and you didnt cut any more significant roots planting a tiny clem ... all you are left with is proper deep watering.. thru the root mass planted.. this year.. deep into fall .. and then next year.. during the heat of the summer especially if there i drought ... see link below.. and i hope it properly mulched.. tht never hurts ... as to next years bloom.. who knows ... but odds should be high.. if you water properly ... ken https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
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It is not unusual for this occur, generally only with shrubs and a few trees. The reason most often given is abrupt weather fluctuations - hot to cold or vice versa; or drought to rain or vice versa. These appear to trick the plant into thinking it is a different time of year.
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shrubs_n_bulbs
21 years ago
They're already out up in the northern wastes of Cheshire :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Lilac blooming today
pjc04
21 years ago
There is a good collection of lilacs in Kew Gardens which you can easily reach via London Underground - District Line. Unfortunately, admission price for Kew has risen to Â£10 this year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kew Gardens website
alcina
21 years ago
I can confirm that the lilacs are indeed in bloom in London at this precise moment! :) I passed a tree this morning resplendent in flowers.

I too recommend seeing Kew Gardens, however, if you pass anywhere near Waterloo station it's *much* quicker to get an overground train from Waterloo to Richmond (there's one about every 10 mins) and then a bus (um..the 156 springs to mind, but people at Richmond will be able to tell you) from the bus stop opposite Richmond station. This will drop you right outside the Victoria Gate entrance. Total journey time: 20 mins - the Waterloo train also takes you past MI6 HQ (as seen in James Bond films) and other interesting, if less famous, landmarks um...and a few industrial estates :) Should you feel a little more adventurous, Waterloo station is, of course, the London terminal for the Eurostar train which will take you to Paris, Brussells or Lille. Get a 1 day travel card which will cover both trains, buses and tube (doesn't cover the Eurostar though!).

Enjoy London
Alcina
User
Original Author
21 years ago
Thank you - thank you - thank you! This is such great news. That lilac tree is amazing - I didn't know they would grow like that! Thanks so much for the info about Kew and getting there, except for the bad news about the admission fee.... You've all been so kind and helpful, and I can't wait to take mum to see the lilacs in London town!

Thanks again, and happy gardening to you!

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