"Growing Lilac"
Practical - Create a hedge or privacy border as well as shade for those hot summer days, and Stunning to look at. Lilac forms clusters of flowers into huge spectacular blooms. Growing Lilac is simple - it's one of the most hardy plants you can grow - and only needs a few basic essentials to ensure long growth and beautiful blooms. The colours available in hybrid varieties are wonderful and you may even find variegated types. Some hybrid varieties are less aromatic though. Wild lilac will provide the strongest scent but less colour changes.
Lilac doesn't like wet feet and will not grow in water logged soil. The soil must be well-drained. Richness of soil is not THAT important, as long as it is well-drained. Lilac is part of the Olive family ( well-known for its high fruiting production in the poorest of soils ) and, although it will benefit from a general fertilizer in the spring, it doesn't matter if you forget! Mulch around the shrubs, but not too thickly as the growing lilac will propagate by sending up suckers from the main plant. Dig gently round the root ball to remove any suckers that may come up for replanting. Cut from the mother plant with a sharp knife and re-cover the exposed roots. Plant out the new plants, water and watch them grow! 
Because lilac flowers on old wood, sometimes a new plant won't flower for a number of years, until the branch is mature enough to produce blooms. Pruning lilac will stop the production of flowers and pruning should therefore be done economically so as not to miss out on next year's flowering season. After pruning, the bush will produce many new branches and lots of foliage. Lilac growers can be of two minds when it comes to pruning and probably the best advice would be to prune lightly every other year, unless the tree looks like it needs more or it develops any diseased parts. Don't prune in the growing season.
Growing lilac is an excellent project for beginner gardeners.Use the shrub as hedging and prune to shape in early spring or late autumn. Let it grow fairly thick and you may even get birds nesting - lilac attracts butterflies and butterflies will attract insect-eating garden birds. A whole wildlife project in one plant!  Happy Gardening! Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months. Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.  Grow Your Own Winter Food is perfect for those with limited gardening experience, with gardens big or small who are looking to become more self-sufficient. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow Your Own Winter Food Grow It, Cook It!: Many crops, including herbs, can be produced in a relatively small space with a little pre-planning and organizing: in containers, on a balcony, and indoors. Herbs are perfect for enhancing the flavour of cooking, treating minor ailments, and preventing colds and flu. Your own back garden will not only produce the best food on the planet for you and your loved ones, it is also economical, environmentally friendly and more fun than shopping. Gardening is more than a hobby; it's a way of life. .  This book provides all the information you need to keep your family and friends healthy, fit and enjoying life to the full. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow It, Cook It! Grow Your Own Pharmacy: If, like me, you want to be able to eat the best food on the planet, grow your own!  • Clear instructions on planning, planting, growing and harvesting the fruits, vegetables and herbs required for a healthy vitamin intake. • Recipes and menus to help incorporate the fruit and vegetables into your daily diet. Grow Your Own Pharmacy Herbs and Spices: Some herbs grow vigorously, some are tender and need special growing conditions, some are annuals, some perennials, some you can grow indoors, all can be grown in pots or directly into the ground. There are also certain spices, such as chillies, that can be grown in temperate climates.  This clear and concise directory of herbs and spices provides all the essential information to help you grow a selection of these flavour-enhancing foods in small or large spaces. Ideas for which herbs and spices go best with which foods also accompany each description, so that you can really enliven your repertoire of recipes. Order it now direct from the publisher... Herbs and Spices Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense is packed full of great ideas and tips. Granny brings traditional home-making up to date with cooking, gardening, needlecrafts and even games to play with the kids...Click on the link below to order your copy.  Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore and preparing nourishing home cooked meals for the family will certainly keep them away from the goodie shelf. Gardening encourages physical exercise and a good healthy dollop of fresh air. And you can get the kids involved too. Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense Back To Flowers Page Back To Flower And Garden Tips Homepage Click Here To Subscribe to "Creative Gardening" - Your FREE monthly ezine! www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/growinglilac.html |
