Waves of White & Mauve Herald Warm Days to Come

By Shelley Hepler and Debbie Nania

I am thinking of the lilac-trees,
That shook their purple plumes,
And when the sash was open,
Shed fragrance through the room
 

The heady scent of lilacs on the breeze is a sure sign spring has arrived in the Inland Empire. The aromatic abundance of blooming lilac bushes line road ways, lake shores, and hillsides from mid-April through late May. They are just glorious!

Spokane, The Lilac City, fell in love with Syringa vulgaris in the early 1900’s. Lilac bushes, native to Eastern Europe and Asia, were first planted in Spokane in 1906. In the 1930’s a local garden club planted bushes in city parks, infusing them with every variety and color available. In a few short years lilacs spread to neighborhoods and fields throughout the county. In 1938 the Associated Garden Clubs and the Spokane Floral Association began a time honored annual event now known as The Spokane Lilac Festival. For information about the festival check out http://www.spokanelilacfestival.com/.  

Vases of Lilacs Everywhere! It is the Mermaids’ opinion that the clustered lilac blooms of white, pink, and various shades of purple are best presented in large vases. A profusion of displays in all rooms of the house (well, maybe not your son’s room), will surely state that spring has come. To extend the life of your cut lilacs, always clip the flowers at a 45 degree angle with sharp pruners and place in lukewarm water. Change the water every other day and you will be rewarded with their amazing beauty and heady scent for several days to come.

Did you know that lilacs are edible? Their distinctive aroma can add a tasty twist to cakes, cookies, cream cheeses, and more. Lilacs can be candied, steeped and added to ice tea or our favorite…Lilac Water.

Lilac Water - Place two freshly picked, washed bunches of lilacs in a glass pitcher or large jar; cover with fresh water, and refrigerate until cold. That’s it! It is refreshing, delicious, and enables one of our other senses to savor the sweetness of spring. Ahhh… Please, only use organically grown lilacs for consumption. Do not use lilacs from nurseries, stores, or those grown by the roadside, as they may have been treated with pesticides. 

Fun lilac facts - S. vulgaris is a genus of about 20-25 species of flowering plants in the olive family. The flowers grow in large panicles, and in several species have a strong fragrance. It is the state flower of New Hampshire. In the language of flowers purple lilacs symbolize the first emotion of love; white lilacs symbolize youthful innocence. 

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