Lilacs: Spring's Favorite Perfume

Written by Deb Wiley. Photographs by Kim Cornelison and Pete Krumhardt

When lilacs bloom, it's suddenly spring. With their sweet scent, pastel blooms and delicate, heart-shape leaves, they're the perfect bouquet.

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Generations of bouquets

Each spring, Midwesterners revel anew in the sight and scent of lilacs. With just a little care, this easy shrub provides generations of bouquets. Flower clusters, studded with tiny florets, burst with fresh-blown hues that can defy the seven official color classifications of lilacs: white, violet, blue, lilac, pink, magenta and purple. Soil, light and weather affect the colors of about 2,000 cultivars.