It’s Lilac Time
Ken falls into the swing of spring with froggy peepers, fragrant lilacs, and bird song. It all begins with a visit to the lilacs at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and meeting a new-to-Ken variety Syringa vulgaris ‘Lucie Baltet’ – introduced by the Baltet Nursery of Troyes, France in 1888. It is the best pink he’s seen, and a color not in his collection of over a dozen common lilacs (vulgaris means common).
Later in the show, Ken speaks with John Elsley, director of horticulture for Song Sparrow Nursery. John and Ken talk about the lilacs that are blooming in Brooklyn, and will be at their peak by Mother’s Day in New Jersey. John recommends a modern lilac, bred by the late Father John L. Fiala – author of the definitive tome on the subject – recently released in a new edition: Lilacs: A Gardener’s Encyclopedia, revised and updated by Freek Vrugtman. ‘Little Blue Boy’, also called ‘Wonderblue’, is chest height at maturity, and flowers at a young age. The men discuss extending the season with early hybrids and finally the tree lilacs in late June, including the yellow cultivar Syringa pekinesis ‘Beijing Gold’.
(Photo courtesy Song Sparrow Nursery)
Ken admits to having a favorite – 'President Lincoln' – a tall, leggy, but dependable disease-resistant plant covered with fragrant blooms that are the bluest of all the common lilacs he’s seen.
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