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Thursday, April 14, 2011

A-Z: Lilacs, Lily of the Valley, and Lavender

Two of my favorite types of flowers are lilacs and lilies of the valley. I love their scents, and the fact that they only bloom around here for a few short weeks in the spring makes it imperative to seek out and enjoy beautiful new blossoms at every opportunity. That's why we drive out to Lilacia Park in Lombard every year and take pictures. My profile picture was taken there, as was this close-up:

Sometimes when we go to Madison (tomorrow's topic!) for WisCon, I'll buy a bunch of lily of the valley at the Farmer's Market and carry with me from panel to panel. It's a shame the flowers don't last very long once plucked. If we'd gotten married in the spring instead of fall, I would have included them in my bouquet.

Ironically, we don't have lilacs or lily of the valley in our yard, though perhaps this year might be the time to try introducing them.

Another "l" flower with a wonderful scent is lavender. I am actually growing them from seed for my garden; I started them a few weeks ago. I do have seedlings at this stage, but they wouldn't make an impressive picture.

Any other flower fanatics out there?
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7 comments:

  1. Susan Gourley/Kelley4/14/2011 8:44 AM

    I have one small lilac bush and I've planted lavender in the past. I love the flowers of spring.

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  2. Margo Berendsen4/14/2011 10:32 AM

    I am not a flower fanatic, but my mom is and every year I get a little more of her love for flowers. Last year I built and planted my first flower bed, still have to see how successful it is this year! I do have lilies of the valley, I love them! (Do you know the old folk song, White Coral Bells?) Lilacs are one flower that absolutely flourish in our crazy climate and I love them too! Lavendar, unfortunately, will not grow here. I wish it did.

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  3. Ann4/14/2011 12:23 PM

    I love Lavendar. My favorite scent of all time.

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  4. Unknown4/14/2011 2:45 PM

    So cool, an entry about your flower passion. Really great.
    Nahno ∗ McLein ™

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  5. Anonymous4/15/2011 9:21 AM

    Beautiful flowers--I wish they'd stay in bloom longer.

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  6. Eric4/15/2011 2:41 PM

    I wouldn't say I'm a fanatic, but I do appreciate a good bloom now and then. I really like lilacs though. They are one of the hardiest plants, and they look so awesome when they are in full bloom.

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  7. Lisa Ricard Claro4/20/2011 4:35 AM

    Unfortunately, I'm a serial plant killer. I can't grow flowers (well, Knock-Out Roses sort of grow themselves) but I do love them. Lilacs are a personal favorite because my grandmother had them in her garden, so for me the scent is evocative of that.

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