Spring colour.....

[yola]

Wonderful, wonderful seasonal colour there Mags. Do you and OH sit out of an early evening and enjoy your garden? I would!!!!

Yes - this year spring seems to have come quickly - my daffs didn't last nearly as long as they usually do (late Jan to late March) and everything else has come on so much quicker. However my lilac tree has completely failed to flower this year - first time for about the 8 or 9 years we've had it. Anyone any idea why??

[calismum]

Originally Posted by yola

Wonderful, wonderful seasonal colour there Mags. Do you and OH sit out of an early evening and enjoy your garden? I would!!!!

Yes - this year spring seems to have come quickly - my daffs didn't last nearly as long as they usually do (late Jan to late March) and everything else has come on so much quicker. However my lilac tree has completely failed to flower this year - first time for about the 8 or 9 years we've had it. Anyone any idea why??

Would buds have been killed by late or severe frosts? Other than that I don't know. My Choisya lost all its buds that way this year.

[yola]

Hmmm. Frost doesn't seem to have bothered it in the past. However we did have all that mental snow in Feb which might have damaged the buds. No trace of even whithered buds though - almost as if it just didn't produce any this year!

[calismum]

Originally Posted by yola

Hmmm. Frost doesn't seem to have bothered it in the past. However we did have all that mental snow in Feb which might have damaged the buds. No trace of even whithered buds though - almost as if it just didn't produce any this year!

Only other thought is - did it get pruned too late?

[dandysmom]

Yola, the commonest reasons for non flowering lilacs that previously bloomed are pruning too late in the season, too much fertilizer (causes vegetative growth instead of flowers), and encroaching shade. Any trees nearby that might have grown enough to make it shadier? Other than that, no ideas .....

What a pity, nothing like the fragrance of lilacs. I had a lovely white one at my rental house, had to leave it s it was far too big to transplant when I moved .....

[yola]

Yes, pruning could be it. I usually cut the old, dead head off but for the last couple of years I haven't - time problems I shall remove last years' blooms and hope for better things next year

[alexgirl73]

On the subject of lilac trees, I got 5 'sticks' off of freecycle last year, the lady promised me they were lilac trees of which I was very skeptical), but I stuck them in the ground anyway, and lo and behold they have produced leaves this year I've been told it will be 2-3 year before I get flowers, but quite chuffed they actually took at all.

[dandysmom]

Oh that's great, Alex! Hope they thrive.

[Mags]

Originally Posted by alexgirl73

On the subject of lilac trees, I got 5 'sticks' off of freecycle last year, the lady promised me they were lilac trees of which I was very skeptical), but I stuck them in the ground anyway, and lo and behold they have produced leaves this year I've been told it will be 2-3 year before I get flowers, but quite chuffed they actually took at all.

I planted a dwarf lilac 4 or 5 years ago Alex and this year I have just noticed two small flowers appearing for the first time! Talk about patience, I'd almost given up on it flowering at all!!

[Kim]

Beautiful Mags, you all seem to have such lovely colourful gardens. Sunce the arrival of our new pup our garden is looking very sorry fo itself, the lawn is wrecked and she enjoys 'pruning' my plants, I find twigs everywhere. Wouldn't swap her though!