Lilacs-Atlanta
 

I am a lilac lover who is moving to Atlanta. A California friend tells
me that Descanso lilacs, a hybrid bred for Zone 9, will make it in
Atlanta. Anyone have experience growing Descanso lilacs, or any other
lilac hybrids for that matter, in Georgia?
-N. Salkin

Lilacs-Atlanta
 

I have a French hybrid lilac that blooms okey in Augusta ,Ga.

Lilacs-Atlanta
 

Lilacs-Atlanta
 

In article ,
(Nina Salkin) writes:

And when do they bloom?

I found that I was eventually able to get the lilac bush that lived in a
raised planter box in front of the house, whenever I wanted (almost). It
required a bit of cruelty to the plant in that I would let it dry out almost to
the point where the leaves withered after spring, I could get another flowering
out of it. I found that if I just dampened the ground to keep it in this state
I could have the plant bloom when the landlady would be returning home after
travel. She really liked them, and getting the bush to do tricks was fairly
easy, once I got the knack of not giving it a nice flood to end the drought
till I wanted to see and smell the blooms again.

I'm sorry that I can't give you any data on it's hybrid type. The bush was
grafted I remember. The roots were a sturdy white flowering but differently
shaped flower type that did not have any scent, but which must have been
hardier. These fed the grafted upperstory of the bush which bloomed lilac
purple and had a lot of perfume scent. This sort needs attention though. The
sloths that later bought the place let the next door neighbors "have" control
of the planter box, and the understory sprouted enough suckers to live it's own
life and they stopped feeding the real lilacs, and the plant is now ok looking
but with none of it's former beauty. But they were from the Red Neck Riviera
anyway...


David Giunti email: unity
What is the question? Gertrude Stein's last words
No one mouth is big enough to utter the whole thing. Alan Watts

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Lilacs-Atlanta
 

Atlanta is zone 7b...................all that humidity, plus the joys of
fireants as well......... but you gotta loves the south. at least you're
prepared for the insanity of the Atlanta drivers having lived in
California............ madgardener who goes AROUND Atlanta whenever
possible on trips to avoid the "Hot-Lanta drivers"
"Nina Salkin" wrote in message
om...
I am a lilac lover who is moving to Atlanta. A California friend tells
me that Descanso lilacs, a hybrid bred for Zone 9, will make it in
Atlanta. Anyone have experience growing Descanso lilacs, or any other
lilac hybrids for that matter, in Georgia?
-N. Salkin

Lilacs-Atlanta
 

"madgard" wrote in message ...
Atlanta is zone 7b...................all that humidity, plus the joys of
fireants as well......... but you gotta loves the south. at least you're
prepared for the insanity of the Atlanta drivers having lived in
California............ madgardener who goes AROUND Atlanta whenever
possible on trips to avoid the "Hot-Lanta drivers"

Ah, but I'm moving down south from the north! I'm a northeast babe,
and the traffic down there is horrifying, even to a Lawnguylander!
Just want a week of lilacs ... is that too much to ask?
-Nina

Lilacs-Atlanta
 

You might give some consideration to the lilac SYRINGA MICROPHLLA `SUPERBA',
a small lilac that is compact and dense, with a small leaf that is
reasonably free of the usual lilac leaf diseases such as powdery mildew. It
blooms in the spring with a pink bloom that reminds me of buddleia with
occasional blossoms during the summer if kept watered and will rebloom in
the fall. The common name is little leaf lilac. It doesn't have the huge
blooms of the French lilacs, but the fragrance is incredible, and it's size
makes it a good, small yard addition.

Our neighbors have one in their yard and asked me what it was. I didn't know
but recognized the distinctive lilac fragrance of the blooms. It's
incredibly easy to start from cuttings (6 cuttings, 6 plants), and I have
them in my holding bed (zone 6b, northern AR) waiting for spring planting.

John
"Nina Salkin" wrote in message
m...
"madgard" wrote in message
...
Atlanta is zone 7b...................all that humidity, plus the joys of
fireants as well......... but you gotta loves the south. at least
you're
prepared for the insanity of the Atlanta drivers having lived in
California............ madgardener who goes AROUND Atlanta whenever
possible on trips to avoid the "Hot-Lanta drivers"

Ah, but I'm moving down south from the north! I'm a northeast babe,
and the traffic down there is horrifying, even to a Lawnguylander!
Just want a week of lilacs ... is that too much to ask?
-Nina

Lilacs-Atlanta
 

Ah, but I'm moving down south from the north! I'm a northeast babe,
and the traffic down there is horrifying, even to a Lawnguylander!
Just want a week of lilacs ... is that too much to ask?
-Nina

absolutely not. I have an older variety of lilac that grows quite well in
the south and blooms fairly well for me. I suggest you get yourself settled,
then open the phone book to Nurseries and hit a few and see what they offer
in the way of lilac's. After you see what they offer, go to a few Home
Despot's and Lowes and see if they might have the same varieties for much
cheaper. Lilac's DO grow in the deep south. Oh honey, you have an inkling
as to the horror's of the Atlanta drivers. It is historically known. I knew
it was bad 30 years ago when I was just a young little hippie going to the
Pink Floyd concert and almost missed the concert because the idiot manager
at the hotel we'd booked just across the street (convenience of being able
to WALK to the concert, and to nearby restaurants either before or after the
thing was over to eat was our goal, that and not drive in our "condition"
after the concert was over..........) from the Stadium, put us nine miles
away and we like to have never found it. Add that once we found the motel
(turned out someone had paid more money for OUR room.......ahh the days of
youth and unknown treacheries), it had been raining for three days straight,
the humidity was awesome and stifling (heck, I grew up in NASHVILLE and knew
humidity, but this blew my mind) and it was my bright idea for us all to
snag our shower curtains to sit on or throw over us in case it decided to
some up another summer storm.

Once the concert was over, and we found our way back thru the crowds of
stoned Pink Floyd fans from outa town, we discovered there wasn't anywhere
within 15 miles that was open to eat. These were the days of just a few
awful Waffle's..........not one at every interstate exit like now. All I
remember was the horrendous traffic and listening to my husband's best
friend screaming as we tried to maneuver thru the throng going 60 mph on the
right lane and shoulders (this was before they expanded the interstate to
what it is now, we're talking when the interstate was just built and already
inadequate for the people who were moving there in the mid 70's).

ANYWAY, check out some nurseries and the local Depot's and Lowes and I bet
you will have some good ol' fragrant lilac's in now time. g

Good luck, keep in touch and let us know what kind you wind up getting.
madgardener east of you off I-40 towards North Carolina in Eastern Tennessee

Lilacs-Atlanta
 

Lilacs in a container? That's a new one for me. I guess I have a lot
to learn about southern gardening...not to mention the south in
general.

I'm looking forward to having clematis and figs...two plants I've had
difficulty with up north, but which should do fabulously down there.

-Ninabelle

Lilacs-Atlanta
 

Nina Salkin writes:

Lilacs in a container? That's a new one for me. I guess I have a lot
to learn about southern gardening...not to mention the south in
general.

Actually, the container was in San Francisco, but similar methods should also
work in Atlanta. I think your city gets a bit warmer so you would have to
slightly water more often than I did out here. To implement the 3 times a year
blooms that were possible with my method, you might have to cover the top of
the planter with some covering to prevent over watering from thunder storms
etc. Too much water just leaves the plant nice and green with only one spring
flowering.

The planter was a rather large one; several feet by several feet.

David Giunti email: unity
What is the question? Gertrude Stein's last words
No one mouth is big enough to utter the whole thing. Alan Watts

On Display in the UK http://www.web-gallery.co.uk