Lilac Time!

Come celebrate Lilac Time 2014.

Hi Friends!

It’s Lilac time in the Midwest!  Our cool, rainy Spring brought a few hours of sunshine this week. So, I knew it was the perfect time to visit one of my favorite places ~ Lilacia Park! This little gem of a park is the home to over 700 Lilacs and 25,000 Tulips. During mid-May, the park is at its blooming best!

Lilacia Park is an 8.5 acre horticultural treasure, just steps away from downtown Lombard, Illinois.

All I needed was a jacket and my camera! Lots of other visitors had the very same idea. There were toddlers, just as tall the as tulips, wandering through the flowers. Two preschoolers danced along the park paths singing, “Oh, I love nature!” ♬  I couldn’t resist joining in with a group of kindergarteners on a class Nature Walk, as they sniffed the Lilacs. (Once a teacher, always a teacher!♡)  There were small groups of gardening experts studying the abundant variety of plants. We had all come for the same reasons… the heavenly colors and scent of Lilacs!

Today, let’s visit Lilacia Park together. Feel free to bring a cup of tea for our walk through the park…

Syringa vulgaris ‘Abraham Lincoln’

Syringa vulgaris ‘Alba’

The lovely scent of Lilacs are simply intoxicating!  The Tulip beds, planted last Autumn, are also at their prime this week.

‘Prairie Fire’ Crabapple blossoms highlight the river of Tulips flowing along our walking path.

What a breathtaking sight to behold!

‘Martha Stewart’ in the midst of a sea of pink and white Tulips

Allium in various stages of bloom

Syringa x hyacinthiflora ‘Pocahontas’

The Tulips are as eye-catching as the Lilacs this week!

Tulips ‘Sun Lover’

Tulips waving in the gentle breeze.

There are many other Springtime treasures to admire along the way…

Daffodils ‘Tahiti’

Fritillaria imperialis, with its stunning blooms

Syringa vulgaris ‘Macrostachya’

Syringa x persica

‘Green Wave’ Parrot Tulip

Syringa vulgaris ‘Primrose’

Groupings of Lilacs in stunning colors are everywhere.

 

So much color inspiration! We are planning to plant three small Lilacs in our yard this year, to celebrate the fond memories of  the Lilacs that surrounded my husband’s childhood home. I can just imagine an antique enamelware pitcher, overflowing with purple, pink, and white Lilacs, on the front porch. Next Spring, we hope to celebrate Lilac Time right here ~ at our little ‘Home Sweet Home!’

It was delightful to stroll through Lilacia Park together. I’m so happy that you could come along!

Wishing you colorful, fragrant Springtime days!

♡ Dawn

P.S.  What flowers remind you of your childhood home?

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The Wonders of Spring

Hi Friends!

Welcome to our garden! I’m so glad that you could stop by for a visit today. What could be sweeter than a little walk to see what’s blooming during the first week of the merry, merry month of May? After a long, cold, snowy Winter and cool days in early Spring, our garden (in Zone 5) is now bursting into bloom! May is my very favorite month of the year, and these are just some of the reasons why…

 

It’s warm enough to relax on the front porch swing and enjoy the Magnolia blossoms!

 

Although the Magnolia blossoms only last a week or so, we truly enjoy them! Whenever we step out the front door, we are greeted with a lovely, pink bouquet!

In the shade of our huge pine trees, the Bleeding Hearts are in bloom.

Bleeding Hearts have such delicate, charming, old-fashioned blossoms.

Tulips in pastel shades are bobbing in the gentle breeze.

These tulips in mixed colors are as bright as crayons!

Yellow Forsythia branches spill over the herb garden fence. Bright pink Quince blossoms greet backdoor guests.

One of the special joys of gardening is sharing our garden with friends.

In a few weeks, we will walk through the garden gate together to visit our herb garden. The fragrant herbs are sure to delight all of your senses!

 

I’ve been spending my afternoons ‘gardenkeeping’ this week. There is always a LOT of Spring clean-up  in our garden. When the growing season ends in the Fall, I always leave the stems and dried flowers on all of my perennials. It creates such a lovely ‘shadow garden’ all winter long. Whenever we are walking through the snowy yard or shoveling the snow, we can still enjoy the garden and the memories warm summer days. The birds enjoy the flower seeds, too! In the very early Spring, the dried flower stems provide lots of nest building materials.

 

My hours spent happily gardenkeeping are filled with birdsong and Spring breezes. It’s such fun to watch the garden change each day, as new plants emerge and grow quickly. Now it’s time to add new mulch to the flower beds and prepare the containers for their new plants. I’m always so excited for our Spring planting day to arrive on May 15th. For me, it’s the very best day of the year! It’s a time filled with the wonders of Spring and the promise of Summer!

 

A visit to Susan Branch’s wonderful blog will fill you with the wonder of Spring!  Stop and visit her beautiful gardens on Martha’s Vineyard!

http://www.susanbranch.com/2014/05/little-luxuries-for-summer-bee-skep-vintage-yard-furniture-flowering-trees/

 

Happy Springtime!

♡ Dawn

 

P.S.  What’s blooming in your garden this week?