Lilac as a shrub

[GardenFaery]

Lilac as a shrub - can anything beat it for cut flowers, early in the season and for the scent?
Remembering last year's, this years are a little late, but just cut blooms for various rooms and enjoying the scent of them. Pruning/cutting like this is possibly at the wrong time, but mine is established ( if a little high at 12ftish!) and the cutting seems to help it in the long term anyway...

Others' experiences with Lilac?

[Thelma Sanders]

I love the flowers and scent - but hate hate hate! the way it suckers through the border

I'm always pulling up great lumps of root from where it shouldn't be

[GardenFaery]

Oh does it? I have one tall shrub and I guess because it's planted one side of pond I guess it doesn't spread - mine seems to grow upwards if anything. I've never seen it re-plant anywhere else either?
You could sell the root clumps for new shrubs Thelma, or send them to me LOL

[VirginVegGrower]

I've just gone to cut some from down the lane, although I find it goes over very quickly. I have planted Mdme.Lemoine, a double white, in my garden, but it's still very sparse.

[rustylady]

My mum always refused to have lilac flowers in the house - she reckoned it was unlucky. As for cutting the flowers, "they" reckon the best pruners are flower arrangers. Cut the flowers and the plant regenerates.

[ladylottie]

My mum always refused to have lilac flowers in the house - she reckoned it was unlucky. As for cutting the flowers, "they" reckon the best pruners are flower arrangers. Cut the flowers and the plant regenerates.

I remember as a little girl picking lilac and taking it to my gran - I can still hear her shouting for me to take it outside - she wouldn't have it in the house either because it was supposed to be unlucky. Even to this day I've never had lilac in the house (and I don't believe in "luck" - so how stupid is that!) and I really love the smell.

[WendyC]

I've a dwarf lilac - Miss Kim- which unfortunately flowers every other year. This is one of its off years. I really could do with pruning it but daren't in case I prune off next year's flowers as well. When in bloom it is lovely. Just wish it flowered more reliably. Any ideas?

[rustylady]

Wendy, cut off the dead flowers and prune where you need to as soon as it's finished flowering. That will leave plenty of time for it to regenerate and produce flowers next year.

[eirish]

I lived for several years in Rochester, NY, home of one of the world's largest collections of lilacs. Heaven! Lilac Festival | Rochester, New York

[GardenFaery]

It's unlucky for humans I guess.... winks

That looks like heaven eirish

[VirginVegGrower]

I remember as a little girl picking lilac and taking it to my gran - I can still hear her shouting for me to take it outside - she wouldn't have it in the house either because it was supposed to be unlucky. Even to this day I've never had lilac in the house (and I don't believe in "luck" - so how stupid is that!) and I really love the smell.

Snap, my grandma the same. May blossom in the house signifies a death...apparently. I still cut lilac and bring it in

[WendyC]

Wendy, cut off the dead flowers and prune where you need to as soon as it's finished flowering. That will leave plenty of time for it to regenerate and produce flowers next year.

But what if its not flowering? Guess pruning now would be about the right time.

[Ananke]

I don't think i've ever seen Lilac before today. I'm doing a flower/shrub border for my Mum and I definately want one of those for it, beautiful.

[rinabean]

I love lilac It's like buddleia's more refined cousin (not that I don't also love buddleia!) and the bees are almost as fond of it as I am!

I'd never heard of its blooms being bad luck - may flower yes, but not lilac? Not that such things bother me, regardless!

[kentishgal]

I hate it! Next door has one at the bottom of their garden that they have left to grow....which would be fine in a large garden but not in a 10ft x 20 ft one! I have to cut as much of it back as I can so it doesnt leave me in the shade.
It does smell lovely though and if I had a bigger space I might want one.