Hi Meadow Lark, I understand your addiction (as any true gardener would), but think of it, at least in the case of the lilacs, as "rising to a challenge"!! I, myself, am the proud custodian of a lilac bush that I have nursed for going on 4 years from a tiny, single stick that I got from the Arbor Day Society. And since I cannot bear to throw out any living piece of greenery, I planted it. (DH "liberated" the other free/complementary twigs the Society sent me). Well, it has now made it to about 3.5 ft tall with 2 dozen or so branches and more deep purply leaf buds (?) this year than ever, so I am still hoping. I knew it would be slow. My worry is that if it ever blooms, it will be white...I want pink or purple. Now for some actual advice, I have always heard & been told that the lilac "Miss Kim" is a good one for the South. Did these lilacs have any name identification? (My twig was incognito & the Society could not elaborate when I called them). In looking up more info, the main requirements I see for lilacs is a sunny location and some winter chill. Also, take heart.(???)..they can be just as long-lived as peonies. So this bewildering project and watchfulness could last into our golden years!! By the way, I live in the Pelham area, and if my lilac sprouts a bloom this year...or next, I'll be sure and tell everyone. And a note to an earlier post about smell/scent...according to one garden source,some of the newer hybrids (which try and do things to compensate for climate, color, size, etc.), may not have any scent, or very weak scent.

I am in coastal southern California (zone 10) and have a lilac growing with minimal care. The important thing is that it is planted in a spot that receives some morning sun, and then for the rest of the day is shaded except for a sliver of time between 1-2:00 where it receives full sun. Too much direct sun, especially in the afternoon, would dry out and bake the plant's leaves in this climate. Last year I consistently gave it water during the summer and it bloomed abundantly. I'm not sure what variety Lilac I planted, but I think it's 'Monore'. Keep in mind my climate still has a coastal influence, I think it's important that there not be any exceptionally warm days during Winter for the plant to get its adequate chill in this climate zone, so this may not necessarily work for more inland areas, or places with higher average Winter temperatures than we have (even if you are also in zone 10, the zone classification is not based on average temperatures but rather minimum temperatures) The leaves of the Lilac got scorched in late Summer, but that's only because it's so dry and hot here that time of year. Then it started leafing out again in October. Sorry, I know my climate is not in the deep South, but I am just saying it may be possible to grow Lilac in zones 9 and 10 in certain types of climate conditions. On the plus side, Gardenia does very well in the South and does not do good here (it dries out).

Quercus virginiana (veer-jin´-ee-AHN-a) is indigenous to a large area of North America from the coastal regions of southern Virginia and North Carolina southwards into the West Indies, eastwards into the southern half of Arkansas and the eastern half of Texas and southwards from there into Mexico. It is hardy in zones 7 through 11. The Live Oak or SOUTHERN LIVE OAK is not only the worlds most beautiful and impressive Quercus species but is also one of the most adaptable of all trees and will thrive not only in cool and moist climates but in hot and arid ones as well if it is watered; it is, of course, most at home in hot and humid regions and these areas, especially the Gulf Coast region of the southern United States, are where it attains its greatest proportions. Some of the largest and most venerable old trees are found within 100 feet of the seashore along the Gulf of Mexico and show that the tree is tolerant of salty spray as well as a low degree of salinity in the soil; these old matriarchs have a number of times been flooded with salt water during hurricanes and tropical storms. Almost all oaks live to great ages and the evergreen species, as a whole, live longer than the deciduous forms, but none are known to reach the age and size of the Southern Live Oak; there are trees still alive that are estimated to be more than 2000 years old. The tree grows to as much as 70 feet and its spread is sometimes the better part of 200 feet in very old specimens. The trunk is exceedingly massive for a tree not indigenous to hot tropical rain forests and some old trees have trunk diameters (not circumferences) of more than 8 feet. The trunk is very low-branched and, in old trees, the great horizontal lower limbs often sweep the ground; on southern estates and the few remaining old plantations of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia this phenomenon is often accompanied by cabling or other structures to hold the limbs off the ground and to allow the grass to be mowed beneath them. The limbs of the tree grow almost entirely in a horizontal fashion and they are more or less contorted, especially on old trees. The bark of the Live Oak is deep gray to almost black in color and is distinctly fissured and longitudinally ridged. The deep green leathery leaves are 3 to 6 inches long, elliptic to mostly oblong in shape and more or less glossy above but grayish or white and pubescent beneath; leaf margins are mostly smooth but can also be remotely toothed and the edge of the leaf is sometimes rolled under to some extent. The Live Oak naturally sheds its leaves in late winter to mid spring as the new ones start to grow and the beauty of an immense old tree covered in the luminous light green of its new growth is one of the great botanical wonders the world has to offer. The tree is also reported to be naturally deciduous--i.e., not briefly so but rather for a considerable period during the winter--in the northernmost and/or coldest parts of its range and zones of adaptability. The tree is fast growing, especially when young, if provided with adequate and regular amounts of moisture and a soil that is not overly limy. The species is variable as to size and form and there are several different naturally occurring varieties at the extremities of the trees range, none of which in any way matches the glory of the type as they are generally much smaller in stature and slower growing. There is no more beautiful thing on the face of the earth than an old live oak; it matches the grandeur and beauty of even the largest tropical banyans and, especially when festooned with Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides), is a sight that can bring a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye.

I've moved a semi mature tree peony and have nothing much to add except, dig the new big hole first, and then make it even bigger! Try to keep the soil level the same where you can, and also, it may need more water than usual during the first summer following the move. Peonies of all varieties are pretty tough, it might sulk for a year but they tend to bounce back, particularly if you're moving it to an area with conditions.