My Favorite Flower

The above picture is one of some of this year's lilac blooms.  We had a 'Dogwood Winter' a couple of weeks ago and it froze most of the blooms and the leaves on the lilacs.  A few, like the one above, were sheltered enough that some of their blooms managed to survive, but most had their buds and leaves killed by the unseasonable cold.  They'll put out new leaves but, sadly, no new flower buds. 

And tonight?  I just heard on the news that we are expecting snow flurries!

Here are some blooms of years past...

The photo above is of a pink lilac that the man at the nursery assured me would be hardy up here "because it's from Canada."  It was in bloom when I planted it, and made lots more blooms, but it didn't make it through the following winter.  I think that nursery man didn't know his lilacs (or knew a sucker when he saw one).

And wouldn't you know that the only lilac I've planted here would croak.  I'm going to have a look round and see where I can plant some more reliable ones.  My six year old great-great niece wants to plant them with me.  We'll do that either this spring or the next, now that she's old enough to really remember planting them.  And of course I'll take lots of pictures.



These lilacs below are really more the color of the buds when they're open, a gorgeous deep purple-maroon, but the camera didn't pick it up.  They're one of my favorites, and they have the strongest scent of any of the lilacs that I have.

The two pictures above are of hardy pink and white lilacs.  I don't know the species name.  I've asked some of the nursery people up here if they know, but they can only generalize at best.  

I don't really care about the proper names of them, I just want them to keep on growing and thriving and blooming for many years to come!