Submitted by Serendipity on Tue, 05/15/2007 - 16:45.
The month of May is always the Month of Lilacs for me. They have always been one of my favorite flowers because of their great aroma. As a child, my bedroom window looked out at a hedge of lilacs. Not only were there the common light purple lilacs, but there was also one bush of deep magenta.
Watching when the lilacs bloom has always been the way I have noted if spring has come early or late. Little did I know that keeping track of when the lilac blooms is actually a reliable way to map the way our climate is changing. Read more:
There is a book about the origin of the lilac name that can be found in the Rare Book Room at the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland , Ohio .
Another Arboretum that gives special tribute to the lilac bush is the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts. Every May a day-long celebration in honor of the lilac bush is held at the Arnold Arboretum. Whether you like lilacs or just strolls in nature, the Holden and Arnold Arboretums are a perfect place for a spring or summer picnic.
Enjoy the lilacs!
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Signs
Moods of the Ohio Moons An Outdoorsman's Almanac by Merrill Gilfillan is a good chronicle of the changing seasons and the science (phenology) of reading those signs. My own lilac are fading now, but they were especially fragrant this year. My grandfather and my dad always cautioned us to wait until the end of the lilacs' bloom to plant our spring vegetable crop. Thanks for rekindling this memory.
May Remembrance of Ed Hauser
How fitting that the family of Ed Hauser will observe his memory on May 2nd at Whiskey Island at a time of hope and renewal.