The Soo Rocks

Aside from Roses, there is no flower as beautiful and aromatic as Lilacs. Of the two, Lilacs have a stronger scent that carries quite a distance. They smell good and look beautiful as cut flowers in the house. Because of our long hard winters, lilacs are especially welcomed here in the Soo. When the lilacs bloom here, we know that our beautiful warmer weather is finally on its way leaving the snow behind us for another year.

Unfortunately, Lilacs bloom for only a very brief couple of weeks in the spring. To prolong their presence in your yard, you could grow a variety of Lilacs, including, early, mid and late varieties. With variety and luck, you may be able to see Lilacs in bloom in your yard for up to six weeks.

Once the buds begin to open, pray for a cool dry spell. Once the blooms are over, we still have a nice shade bush, but it will be another year before this beautiful flower blooms again.

Lilacs in the United States date back to the mid 1750-s and were grown by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Since lilac bushes can live for hundreds of years, a bush planted at that time may still be around. The lilac bushes down by the canal and the CC Hall are at least 100 years old because my grandmother remembered them as a child (she died at 96 in 1995 here in the Soo).