I love the look and smell of lilacs this time of the year, but have some
questions. The ones I usually see around here (Midwest USA zone 5) are very
sparse at the bottom. Is that the way they are supposed to be? I would
like to plant a row about 20 feet from the house, but I don't like the look
of the ones I see when they are not in bloom. Is it because the ones I have
seen are not pruned correctly or is this the way it grows? If it is
supposed to be bushy at the top and thin at the bottom, what would be some
good shade plants to help cover up the bottom?

Thanks for your help
Tracey