It’s almost Bloom time, that weekend in the Irish gardening year when we collectively convince ourselves that the sun shines in Ireland all year round and that picnics on the lawn dressed in boater hats and gingham sundresses are a good idea.
14.05.2024 - 15:17 / theprovince.com / Brian Minter
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When we think of perfume in our gardens, lilacs are still the romantic favourite. Lilacs have long played an important role in the landscape, providing colour in mid-spring, bringing us unparalleled perfume, and as a pollinator plant producing nectar and pollen for a wide range of beneficial insects. As the importance of growing cut flowers in the home garden increases, they have become more relevant, especially the varieties that bloom a second time in late summer.
There are dozens of lilac species and thousands of cultivars that range from one-metre ornamentals to 10-metre trees. Many of the older varieties are no longer being grown commercially in most nurseries today, but of these, the most well-known are in the syringa vulgaris, or common lilac family and they form the basis of our newer varieties. After hybridization certain strains have been improved and are now sold as French hybrids.
Most of these beautiful hybrids have large, double-flowered trusses that are highly perfumed. The rich, deep red-purple, double-flowered Charles Joly is among the most sought after, as is the double white, Miss Ellen Willmott. Although single flowering, the darkest purple, Ludwig Spaeth, is a favourite, and the rich wine-red and white bicolour of Sensation is stunning. There are myriad beautiful varieties in a wide range of colours, now even including a soft yellow called Primrose.
These lilacs are some of our most winter hardy plants, often tolerating temperatures to Zone 2. Once established, they are very drought tolerant and probably one of the least fussy
It’s almost Bloom time, that weekend in the Irish gardening year when we collectively convince ourselves that the sun shines in Ireland all year round and that picnics on the lawn dressed in boater hats and gingham sundresses are a good idea.
Happy Friday, GPODers!
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
As Bridgerton returns for a third series, we celebrate its return by taking a look at some of the many filming locations from season three, which you can visit this summer. From urban oases to grand country estates, these include some of the UK’s most iconic stately homes and gardens.
In the arc of an Irish gardening year, May is the month of magical things. The first rose. The first swallow. The first properly hot day. The first beech tree in full leaf. The first sighting of wisteria in magnificent lilac bloom, draping itself languidly against a high, sunny wall. As nature flashes its brilliant feathers, it’s also our last real opportunity before summer finally arrives to make a substantial difference to our gardens or allotments, whether that’s filling them with fast-growing annuals to provide plenty of homegrown produce for the months ahead, planting up spectacular summer containers, or fine-tuning flower borders for maximum impact. With all of this in mind, here’s a handy little to-do list to help you stay on course.
This year we are celebrating 30 years of 2-for-1 Gardens, and we have 407 gardens taking part, from local hidden gems to national landmarks! To kick off your year of garden visits, we’ve picked out some of the 2-for-1 Gardens in the scheme this year which are perfect for a visit this month. Head out with your 2-for-1 Gardens card and enjoy saving money on days out with friends and family, whilst gathering lots of garden inspiration!
Happy Friday, GPODers!
Cucumbers are among the most popular crops for home gardeners. They’re easy to grow and just a handful of vines can provide enough cucumbers for fresh eating from mid-summer through late fall. But proper cucumber plant spacing can mean the difference between healthy, productive plants and disease ridden, low yielding ones. Let’s take a look at how far apart to plant cucumbers based on your growing technique and the method you use to plant them. Why properly spacing cucumber plants matters Before we dive into the details on proper plant spacing for cucumbers, let’s take a
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