Lilacs: Spring's Favorite Perfume
When lilacs bloom, it's suddenly spring. With their sweet scent, pastel blooms and delicate, heart-shape leaves, they're the perfect bouquet.
Lilac festivals and parks
The lovely lilac is celebrated and displayed around the Midwest. Peak bloom times vary from year to year; call ahead.
Several pictures in this lilac slideshow, including the one at left, were taken at Ewing Park's lilac arboretum in Des Moines. It's usually best in May.
Visit hundreds of lilacs at Longenecker Gardens, University of Wisconsin Arboretum in Madison.
Tour Max and Darlene Peterson's lilac collection at Meadowlark Hill near Ogallala, Nebraska. It's one of the largest and most important private lilac collections in the United States, with about 1,000 shrubs on four acres. During bloom season, usually the second or third week of May, hundreds of people tour the farm. Call ahead (308/284-2524) to confirm blooming dates.
The annual Mackinac Island Lilac Festival is in June at Mackinac Island, Michigan.
The annual Lilac Time Festival is held in May at Lilacia Park in Lombard, Illinois. For a "Bloom-o-Meter," call the Lilac Hotline at 630/953-6000 ext. 27, or visit the Lombard Park District website.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum
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