I planted a young Miss Kim (about 18") in April 2016 as a namesake remembrance for a loved one that had passed...in the fall after her leaves had dropped I trimmed her back to her original size, just as I do every fall with the few shrubs and roses I have in the yard, and they all come back strong the next growing season. I know, I know, I should have done research before I did that, not having a green thumb and having no knowledge about the Miss Kim, and realized that was not the thing to do until it was too late! Needless to say, I guess, there were not even any leaves this spring because I cut back the new growth last fall, but I've been watering her on occasion this summer because it's been so hot and dry here in west- central Iowa. My question is whether she will even survive my mistake, I'm reluctant to remove her and start over next spring even if I have to wait a year or more for her to come around. I'm just concerned because there wasn't even a single leaf this season. I'm more than willing to wait, but is a Miss Kim lilac hearty enough to survive and come back from my blunder eventually?

I finally got around to doing an inventory of who's poking their heads up. I'm thinking beginner's luck really applies to me (like Hykue already mentioned for her garden), since almost everything seems to be coming back. My garden is in Whitehorse, Yukon (Zone 1a). Here's what made it: Delphiniums - 'Summer Skies', Pacific Giant 'Guinevere', and assorted miscellaneous ones that were here when we moved in. Re-blooming Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Catherine Woodbury') Asiatic Pot Lily 'Mt. Duckling' Primula cortusoides - coming up like crazy and now its blooming, one of the earliest ones in the garden, came up at the same time as the Delphiniums Columbine - Aquilegia vulgaris plena 'Black Barlow' and A. flabellata 'Ministar' (Blue Angel Fan columbine) Dianthus deltoides 'Confetti White' (White Maiden pinks) and Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Tiny Rubies (Cheddar pinks) Campanula cochlearifolia 'Bavaria Blue' (Bavaria Blue Fairy Thimble) - came up a bit later than everything else so I was worried about it but it looks like itÂs doing fine Rosy Pussytoes Cutleaf Anemone  another one thatÂs growing like crazy. Goat's Beard Sempervivum 'Emerald Express' Tanacetum coccineum Robinson's Mix (Single Painted Daisy) Subalpine Daisy Baby's Breath - a transplant from my mother-in-law's garden last year Speedwell - Veronica allioni unknown var.; Veronica RedFox; Veronica spicata 'Sightseeing Mix' (all are coming up like crazy) Aster alpinus 'Dunkle Schone' (Dark Beauty Alpine Aster), and Aster alpinus 'Pinkie' (Pink Alpine Aster) - the Dark Beauty has tons of growth, the Pinkie is slower but alive Double-flowering Almond - I really had doubts about how this one would do when I planted it last year but it's flowering! Icelandic poppy  just about to flower. Peonies 'Sword Dance', 'Sarah Bernhardt', and 'Sorbet' - I was worried about them but the ÂSarah Bernhardt is coming up like crazy and the others are alive, too. I had thought the Sword Dance was dead last year so stuck it in the ground in a patch in the middle of nowhere, pretty much ignored it, and now itÂs coming back. IÂm amazed. Common Bleeding Heart  survived but I planted it in what turned out to be a poor spot last year so IÂll move it as soon as I can this year. Alchemilla mollis (Lady's Mantle) - planted it in a very bad spot two years ago and I'm amazed it's still hanging in there. I'm going to move the poor thing this year. Potentilla nepalensis (Cinquefoil ÂMiss WillmottÂ)  another one that I planted in a really bad spot two years ago and it survived. IÂd actually forgotten it was even there and so wasnÂt watering it or anything but then went to dig up a spot for azaleas and found it! So IÂve moved it to my new shade bed while apologizing to it profusely. Hosta undulata ÂMediovariegata' is slowly coming up; still no sign of Hosta fortunei Âaureomarginata Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis ÂRoseaÂ) Lilacs  two unknown varieties that were here when we moved in Chives - these were here from the previous owners. I accidentally weeded a bunch out when we first moved in and then discovered more the other day. A few other odds and ends  raspberries that we transplanted from my mother-in-lawÂs garden last year, rhubarb that was here when we moved in, two Ashleaf Spirea that appeared out of nowhere, tons of JacobÂs Ladder and Yarrow and Oxeye Daisies, and a mixture of wild and domestic strawberries that are all in bloom now. The casualties (what doesnÂt appear to have survived or are iffy): Dwarf Arctic Iris (Iris setosa var. arctica)  two donÂt have anything but I just noticed that one has a couple of green shoots Phlox divaricata ssp laphamii ÂChattahoochee Johnny Jump-ups  maybe these will come later since they did fine last year Blue Marguerite (Felicia amelloides) Nepeta faassenii ÂDropmore Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla ÂJack FrostÂ)  I think IÂll try this again but somewhere else in my yard. Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea ÂDouble MixedÂ)  not surprised these didnÂt make it, I didnÂt really expect them to but thought IÂd give them a try False Spirea (Astilbe taqueti ÂSuperbaÂ)  another one that I planted before I knew what I was doing and that probably would have done fine if IÂd put it in a better spot. Poor thing. IÂve got some other Astilbes in a different spot this year.

I am amazed at the variation of lilac performance in my yard. Some thrive with many blossums and others just die. I can not comment on the Miss Kim lilac. I am very impressed with the blooms on my Sensation (purple edged with white, Mrs. Edward A Harding (double magenta), and Michael Buchner (double lavender). I have these lilacs on top of ledge in lousy soil amended with lime and compost. You may want to replace Miss Kim with a more prolific bloomer for your location. Chervil2

E, Can you take some photos of the base of the plant? While I don't think most lilacs are grafted onto rootstocks, from what I read, Miss Kim sometimes is grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock so that it grows smaller than it would on its own roots. Unless we know if yours is grafted or not, we can't know for sure if your sprouts are the same plant. Generally, the sprouts from a rootstock are removed since they won't be the same as sprouts on the upper part of the plant. Sprouts on an own-root plant can be removed for shaping, but will grow true to the plant if left to grow. Regardless, any branches that are truly dead might as well be pruned off, though by now that will be more difficult to tell without leaves.