A Celebration of Lilacs

The month of May and lilacs seem to go hand in hand, so we're devoting this episode to everything that makes them special. Featured shrub: Bloomerang Purpink lilac.

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Coming to you from Studio A hereat Proven Winters color Choice Shrubs. It's
time for the Gardening Simplified Show withStacy Hervella, me, Rick Weist,
and our engineer and producer Adrianna Robinson. Well Ah, the Fragrance of the
Venerable old shrub. Lilacs an oldfashioned favorite, memorable and deeply nostalgic,

(00:26):
popular because of their rugged ability tosurvive tough conditions while remaining a beautiful,
relatively low maintenance plant. So themonth of May is about weddings, memorials,
graduations, moms, and lilacs andheirloom lilacs are always there to help.

(00:47):
If there is a comfort food equivalentin the plant in the plant world,
it would have to be lilac.You know, I would agree,
and I've said it on the showbefore. But if there was one plant
that people have asked me if theycould grow, it is by far lilacs.
And usually it's the person who hasretired relocated to Florida, Arizona or

(01:11):
California, Texas, and they're like, I grew up with lilacs and I'm
just wondering if I can grow themhere. And it breaks my heart to
tell them that they usually can't.But that's the one thing that they really
really want in their new home islilacs because that fragrance, it takes you
back the color everything about them,fragrance and nostalgia. And I've also heard,

(01:34):
Stacy, I've heard people say thatlilacs in the landscape are the backup
singers to the band. Generally,of course, French or Vulgaris lilacs can
get pretty big, ten twelve,fifteen feet tall. I've taken hedgerows of
lilacs and run a chainsaw two orthree feet above the ground, rejuvenated them

(01:56):
that way. But they were backup saying until well, they're not backup
singers anymore. And Stacey's going toexplain that to us during Plants on Trial,
because there are some incredible lilacs availabletoday. French lilacs, well,
it has nothing to do with theirplace of origin, which is much further

(02:19):
east in the Balkan Peninsula and partsof temperate Asia. But there were individuals
who well made French lilacs what theyare today through plant breeding. They have
a tremendous history, but the botanicalname really doesn't give you a clue.
Syringea did I pronounce that right?I would say syringa, syringa or syringa.

(02:43):
Yeah, you know what syringa soundsbetter, not syringe. Yeah it
does not. The derivation is notfrom the word for Actually, it could
be because where syringa comes from?Or do you have this or am i
am I scupina here on this?Oh no, I want My intention was
for you to scoop me on thisbecause you taught me this. It's a

(03:04):
great story. It's very interesting.So syringa, the botanical name for lilac,
derives from the Greek word for seyrinx, which is also pan pipes.
So you know the hollow pan pipesthat you play, because lilacs have stems
that have a pithy center you canremove and then it is a hollow tube.
Now similarly, a syringe is actuallyalso a hollow tube, so there

(03:27):
could actually be some connection there.But so there are still ways that you
can, you know, find tomake pan pipes from lilac stems online if
you are so inclined, but youcan hollow them out. Yeah, the
pan pipe thing is really cool.And with lilacs, I find the stems
the wood to be really hard.Yeah, do you need sharp bruers to
prune a lilac, for sure.Exactly along that line with the botanical name,

(03:52):
how about the common name. Staytuned for branching news, because I'm
going to break down for you.How do you pronounce it? Is it
liluc, lilac or lilac? Sostay tuned. I won't deal with that,
Okay, I'll be interested to hearwhere this goes. Now, of
course, there are a lot offestivals during the month of May that appreciate

(04:14):
lilacs. Now I'm catching myself alilac lilock. No usually says it.
Lilac Mackinaw Island here in Michigan,big, big festival. It's about to
head into its seventy sixth years,so since nineteen forty nine. That's fascinating.

(04:34):
And then, of course you havethe Mother's Day at the Arnold Arboretum
Lilacs Lilac site that's May twelfth thisyear, the one day that they allow
you to picnic on the grounds.Rochester, New York, has a huge
lilac festival. It's a big dealthere. And then Woodland, Washington,

(04:54):
the holda Klager Lilac Gardens, arestoration project to honor the work of the
famed lilac developers. So those arejust four of many types of festivals.
Stacy, you could say people certainlyappreciate this plant. They do, and
I think where those festivals are locatedsays a lot about what it takes to
grow lilacs, and that is thatthey are They like cold, they do

(05:17):
not like heat, and I thinkwhen something is as fragrant as lilacs,
people are a little surprised by thatbecause they expect them to be more heat
tolerant, like jasmine and citrus andall of these wonderful smelling things that are
not cold tolerant. Lilac is anextremely fragrant, extremely cold tolerant plant to
the point where it can't in manycases tolerate heat. Yeah, exactly.

(05:38):
So to cut to the chase asfar as that's concerned, if you're interested
in growing lilacs or lilacs, I'mnot going to be able to shake this.
Their long lives, so they respondwell to pruning. They need good
drainage, they like full sun.Stacy, you mentioned the chilling of winter.
Many lilacs are hardy to zone two. That's pretty darn hardy. That's

(06:01):
cold exactly. Issues I have foundthrough the years that can be a problem
are number one, nitrogen heavy fertilizerscan create problems, or if they adjoin
a lawn area pruning at the wrongtime. You don't want to be pruning
lilacs, for example, in fall. You want to prune them right after

(06:24):
they're done blooming. Don't be afraidto prune. I find the plants to
respond really well to pruning. Andthen when lilacs are planted close together,
air and light can be a problem. And some lilacs, particularly the older
French lilacs, powdery mildew can beYeah, the older ones in Syringa vulgaris

(06:44):
the common lilac in general is muchmore susceptible to powdery mildew than a lot
of other newer lilacs or different typesof lilacs. But you know, I
think it's a relatively small praise topay. I mean, as long as
you grow them well, they're usuallyokay, and you know, once they're
in flour you forget all about that. Now there's confusion on lilacs also because
Stacy, not all lilacs are createdthe same. There are many different types

(07:08):
and let's just run through this amoment real quickly so that you can help
me with this. You mentioned thecommon lilacs, so that's syringa vulgaris right,
and many people refer to them asFrench lilacs. Okay, then we've
got the Korean lilacs or syringa MEYERIlike the dwarf Korean lin Caliban is very

(07:30):
popular one out there. Absolutely,the California lilacs, which are not lilacs
at all, but they're called CaliforniaWild Lilacs cnous. Yeah. And we
were just talking about our native cand of this, our Eastern natives C
and of this a few weeks agoexactly. Of course then, and I
don't want to steal your thunder herefor plants on trial, but it's just

(07:55):
exciting to see what has happened withlilacs as far as Centaur is concerned and
stacy. As you said in ashow a few weeks ago, it's a
mouthful hyacintha FLOORA Yes, did Iget that right? Yes, you did,
erringa hyacinth the floor. We talkedabout that in our garden tour that
we just did, so that's availableon our YouTube channel if you're interested in

(08:16):
what's going on in outside of thestudio, reblooming lilacs exciting. We're going
to learn more about them today.And then Syringa reticulata or Japanese tree lilac,
and there we're talking about something thathas a great size but does not
have the fragrance like a French lilac. It has a smell, It has

(08:37):
a smell, has a privect kindof smell too. Yeah, I don't.
I don't some people like the smell. I don't care for it,
and I you know, honestly,I'm gonna say it's not one of my
favorite plants, the lilac tree.They're okay, I mean, they're more
common than you would expect, butyou know, they're just I guess it's
a smell for me. I don'tlove it. I can't get excited about

(09:00):
them either, I really can't.But they do make an impact in the
landscape, and so that's fun tosee. So Victor Lemoine, Yes,
So there's an individual who basically gaveFrench lilacs their name, like I said
earlier, a native, a nativenot to France, but because Victor and

(09:22):
his wife and kids, I guessdid a lot of work climbing ladders and
cross pollinating lilacs, and also promotedthe fact that they are edible. I
guess they make some kind of toppingfor cupcakes or pastry treats or whatever it
may be. They really help putlilacs on the map. Yeah, I

(09:43):
think a lot of people are surprisedeven to find out they're edible. Yeah,
but they are. And one ofthe most common ways to enjoy lilac
flowers is a very simple one,and that is to just layer them with
sugar and an enclosed jar, solike a little ball jar, and put
the lilac flowers, put a layerof sugar and so on, and layer
it up, and then a lilacfragrance goes into the sugar and you can
use that in tea or like yousaid, cupcakes or other things like that.

(10:05):
That's kind of great, isn't thatHow you make anything taste good?
Hammer it with sugar or bacon oneor the other lilac scented sugar, especially
bacon optional. Well. I havea feeling lilacs will continue as our theme
coming up with plants on Trial.That's next coming up here on the Gardening
Simplified Ship proven Winner's Colored Choice Shrubs. Cares about your success in the garden.

(10:31):
That's why we trial and test allof our shrubs for eight to ten
years, making sure they outperform everythingelse on the market. Look for them
and the distinctive white container at yourlocal garden center. Greeting's Gardening friends,
and welcome back to the Gardening SimplifiedShow. It's the time of the show
where we put a plant on trial, which is to say, we're going
to tell you everything you need toknow, but one of the three hundred

(10:54):
and twenty plus proven Winner's Colored Choiceshrubs, and you get to decide if
you are going to add it toyour garden or not, or perhaps in
this case, buy it for momfrom Mother's Day. Yeah. I feel
like lilacs are such a classic choicein the areas of course where you can
grow them, such a classic choiceas a Mother's Day gift because they look
fabulous, they lasted a long time, everyone loves them, they're easy to

(11:16):
care for. But this one eitherdeserves a spot in your mom's yard or
yours, or both. So Ihonestly, I was looking back over all
of our shows and I cannot believethat we have not yet really discussed Bloomerang
lilacs. I don't think we have, and we're talking about bloommerang, and
of course I love puns. That'sgreat. I mean I've always said,

(11:37):
what is a boomerang that doesn't comeback a stick? Right? Yes,
yes you have said that, Efident'strue. But this is bloom rang.
What an exciting concept? Yes,so it is a re blooming lilac.
And the very first Bloomerang lilac cameout from us in about twenty ten and
it was an instant success and peoplewere just absolutely loved it. And over

(12:03):
the years we have introduced several Bloomeranglilacs and the line currently consists of three.
So there's Bloomerang Dark Purple, Bloomerangper pink, and Bloomerang Ballet,
which will not be available in gardencenters until next year. So since we
have all these lilacs to cover,I was like, how am I going
to decide which one? So today'splant on trial is the newest and available

(12:26):
now Bloomerang per pink lilacs. Soyou can go to your garden center and
find this. And the reason thatI chose this out of all of the
bloomerang lilacs that are or were inthe line is because it really represents a
concept that we've talked about on theshow multiple times, and that is how
plant breeding can continue to excel evenagainst what the same breeding line had done

(12:52):
previously. So bloomerang lilac. WhenTim Wood, my boss and the new
plant manager here, he introduced bloomeraafter several years of work the concept of
bloomeraying of reblooming lilocs. So it'snot entirely new. It's like we didn't
just invent that. There was avariety, an old variety French variety called
Jose which has been around for yearsand years, centuries really, and that

(13:15):
had some rebloom. But it wasthe kind of plant that like, you
know when it flowered in spraying andbe like, oh that's great, and
then you know, you might walkout in your garden in August and say,
oh, hey, there's a coupleof flowers on the lilac. It
wasn't yeah a dabble. You wouldn'tbe like, whoa that lilac is in
flower again. So it wasn't atotally new concept, but it does take
a plant breeder to recognize that potentialand then work, uh to really amplify

(13:41):
that in a plant to the pointwhere it is notable, not just like
oh that's kind of cool, butwhere it's like, oh, this does
this and you can count on thislilac doing this now, Rick, as
you were explaining previously, the bloomeranglilacs are not a syringa vulgaris, so
they're not a common lielac. Theyaren't a serring high scinth. The flora
that is our Centaura series, whichagain we've talked about in previous show.

(14:05):
Cinta Double Blue has been a planton trial and then we just covered them
extensively in the garden to where that'scurrently up on YouTube that we did last
week. So these are they're stillfragrant, but they're not as fragrant.
They don't have that same lilac fragrance. It's more of kind of like a
honey sweet floral fragrance. And alot of people don't realize this, but
lilacs are actually in the olive family. Yes, they are related to olives,

(14:30):
and a great number of plants inthat family are fragrant. And it
was interesting to me that when wewere talking about the tree lilacs, you
said they smell like privet, becauseprivet is actually quite fragrant, and the
bloomerang tile lilac kind of smells alittle like that, maybe sweeter, not
quite so doggy. Okay, doesthat make sense, ke perfect. I'm

(14:52):
glad you get me on that.So it's a little bit different. The
foliage is much smaller, and theflowers are smaller, and and the kind
of cluster together like regular lilacs.But a great thing about it, aside
from the fact that it does rebloom, is they're very disease resistant, so
you don't have to worry about powderymildew, bacteria, leaf spot, all

(15:13):
the things that can you know,play other lilacs. So I just want
everyone to understand first all, aswe talk about bloommeranging lilacs, you've got
to kind of get that French lilacpicture out of your head. These are
different. In fact, they're inour background right now, but they have
some benefits and namely, again that'sreblooming. So what a reblooming shrub does

(15:33):
is it blooms on old wood.Like all of the other lilacs that are
currently in bloom are doing. Sothat is wood that was set last summer
when all the way through fall andwinter and is blooming now. So that's
old wood. What a reblooming lilacdoes is blooms on that old wood,
and then after that flowering winds down, they will put their energy into vegetative

(15:56):
growth or growing leaves, stems,shoots, all of that kind of stuff,
and then they are capable of settingflower buds on that new wood that
don't require vernalization. That's a tendollars word that basically just means it doesn't
need to be exposed to cold temperatures, right, no chilling. So these
new wood flowers can can open withoutvernalization and that's why you're able to get

(16:19):
that subsequent bloom. So look forthem later in the season. Yeah,
later in the season. So ittakes generally about six weeks from that initial
bloom for the plant to put onenough growth to start creating new flower buds.
And you know, the key isthat you're going to get that better
rebloom on all the bloomerang lilacs.It the more vigorously they can grow in

(16:45):
that time, the better the rebloomis going to be, so it's still
a low maintenance plant. And evenif you get little to no rebloom,
you can have a great shrub onyour hands. But if you're really going
after that rebloom, you have tokeep the plant growing vigorously. I keep
it well watered. I would recommendfertilizer. And what that's going to do
is just give the plant enough energyto put on abundant new growth and then

(17:07):
go on to flour. So wateredproperly in the summer, some fertilizer and
stacey, I'm gonna guess, justlike with other lilacs, sunshines in Port
oh. Sunshine is so important.Got to have at least six hours of
bright sun for your lilacs, otherwisethey will not really flower. The flower
a little. And when we're talkingabout syringa vulgaris, they're much more likely

(17:29):
to get those diseases that we talkedabout because the foliage isn't drying as fast.
So these are full sun plants forsure, very important. But let's
get back to bloomerang per pink.It's like I was saying, it really
represents what we look for in plantbreeding, which is that if you were
to side by side. Compare Bloomerangper Pink Lilac with the original Bloomerang Purple.

(17:51):
The difference in performance, especially inthe rebloom, between these two plants,
you would not even believe what you'reseeing they, you know, as
we have been able to select anddevelop those qualities more and more, every
subsequent introduction in the Bloomerang series hasreally improved on that rebloom, and so
it is one of our strongest rainbloomers. And honestly, I have seen

(18:14):
this thing in July and August inour gardens, and I mean it's almost
as much as spring, the amountof flower coverage that you get on that.
So it's not just that smattering offlowers anymore. It is fully in
bloom again. And it's just wildto see a lilac blooming alongside your panicle
hydrangea. I was just gonna saythat the timing's perfect so you can enjoy

(18:36):
it to next to limelight or Boboor some of the other panicles that are
in bloom. Right. And Ilove Bloomerang per pink. I love the
color with those panicle hydranges, andso I'm sure people are wondering per pink.
What are you talking about? Isthat or hearing that right? So
it is a mashup of the wordspurple and pink, and that's where the
name comes from, because we couldn'treally tell is it purple is it pink?

(18:57):
In different lights, in different flightlower ages, some people would say,
oh, that's purple. Other peoplewould say, oh, no,
that's pink, and you know,to each their own. So we decided
to mash it all up, andit's bloomerang per pink. I like that.
Now. When they were originally evaluatingthis plant and getting it closer to

(19:17):
introduction, do you remember the viralphenomenon of the dress where people couldn't tell
if it was black and blue orwhite and gold. So that was sort
of what was the guiding principle ofthis or no one could really agree on
what the true color was. Sothat's a great reason to grow at yourself,
is you can then decide in yourgarden, in your light if you

(19:37):
think it's more purple, or ifyou think it's more pink, or if
you think it's just plain per pink. Hell, you know, knowing we
were going to talk about lilacs,I looked it up Lilac and lavender are
two different colors. They are bothpale shades of purple, but lilac has
a pink tint to it, lavenderhas the blue tint. So this is
no what's great topic matter. It'spretty neat. Yeah, and it's a

(20:00):
fun word to say. You canjust go ahead, if you're in your
car right now, just say itper pink. So bloomerang purpaine easier to
say than lilac or sirringu or asyringa sirringu isn't the flora especially So really
this is I think, you know, if you're looking for a special gift
for your mom, you want toget her a shrubs and then it's going

(20:21):
to last a long time and giveher many, many years of enjoyment.
I think these newer bloomerangs are Imean, any bloomerang would be a good
choice. But again, as weget into these newer varieties, you're seeing
such a substantial improvement in the plant, and that's why we drop the older
ones. So bloomerang purple, theoriginal isn't around anymore, not because it
wasn't a good plant, but becausewe have so much better plants right now

(20:42):
that we don't want you to goand buy that plant that's not going to
perform that the best that it is, so we're always swapping these in.
We do have a similar approach toour Let's Dance series of reblooming hydrangees,
because we're really looking to get youthe very very best performance. So if
mom loves lie locks, if momhas a full sun spot and well drained

(21:03):
soil, I think Bloomerang per pinkwould be a marvelous choice. You can
find it at your local garden center. If you don't know where your local
garden center is, check out provenWinters Colour Choice dot com. We've got
a retailer locator there that connects youwith a garden center and gets you the
perfect gift for your mom. Whateveryou decide, we're going to take a
little break. When we come back, we'll be opening up the garden mail
bag. At Proven Winter's Color Choice, We've got a shrub for every taste

(21:32):
and every space. Whether you're lookingfor an easycare rose and unforgettable hydrangea or
something new and unique, you canbe confident that the shrubs and the white
containers have been trialed and tested foryour success. Look for them at your
local garden center. Greetings gardening friends, and welcome back to the Gardening Simplified
Show on this fine Saturday in May. Is there a better month than May.

(21:53):
There's a reason they call it themerry month of May. Don't you
think it's there's a good reason whyit's the merry month of May. I'm
ready to start planting. I amtoo, but I'm also ready to h
I'm ready to shop. Oh yeah, shopping is even more fun than planting.
I've been shopping for weeks. Well. I make it a Mother's Day
tradition to go shopping for plants withmy mom, so I had, you

(22:14):
know, I save it up forthat one special day, and I'm I'm
waiting for it, and I'm readyfor it. So anyway, today we
are answering our garden questions, aswe do in every episode, and if
you have a gardening question for us, you can reach us at help HLP
at Gardeningsimplified on air dot com,or just visit our website, or you
know, even ask as a commenton YouTube. Adriana sends those to us,
so we're able to answer you thereas well. There's lots of ways

(22:37):
to get in touch with us,and as we get deeper and deeper into
the gardening season, sometimes the confusioncan thicken. You find out things that
you didn't realize. We're, youknow, going to be the case.
Are the case? Or I thoughtthat we're going to be the case and
aren't the case? And we're hereto help. So you can always reach
us and send us your questions likethese listeners have what do we got in
the mailg Well, Kathy's wondering andwrites to us. Your show is so

(23:00):
helpful. You're both very entertaining whileyou educate us. I really appreciate you.
Thank you very mulch Kathy. Nowa question about Perfecto Mundo double purple
azaleas. I just purchased five twogallon size. I'd like to keep them
in their nursery containers over the summer, plant them in the ground in fall
Zone six B. Is that anokay plan as it relates to the health

(23:23):
of these shrubs. I've read itsbest to plant these in the fall,
and also I have so much todo before the heat and humidity set in
before summer. Wow, this isa great question. It is a great
question. Yeah. Yeah, Soas far as keeping your plants in the
containers go. That's fine as longas you are able to check them for

(23:44):
water frequently through the season. Youknow, I think people get a little
bit paranoid about keeping their plants intheir nursery containers. But the fact is
if you didn't buy them, thenother people hadn't bought them. That's what
the nursery would be doing. Yeah, and let me add to that stacy.
If you're able to keep an eyeon the watering and not rely on

(24:04):
irrigation, some hand watering, deepwatering at the base fill the pots,
then you can get Yeah, there'sa reason why when you go to a
garden center there are hoses everywhere andwet floors. That's because the staff is
always watering the plants. And soyeah, you can absolutely treat them like
you would like they would have beentreated at the garden center. But do

(24:26):
remember you probably do not have astaff to be watering them multiple times a
day if they need it. That'swhat happens here in the greenhouses as well.
I mean, our growers sometimes arewatering multiple times a day, so
it is possible to keep them intheir containers, but you are definitely going
to need to check them frequently.I would say, especially during the heat
of the summer, they're going toneed a thorough watering at least once a

(24:47):
day, if not twice. Inoften weji water twice on very hot sunny
days. So if also, ifyou can keep them in some shade that's
still convenient to your hose, that'sanother thing you can do. Yeah,
because when you're trying to take careof plant material you like people in the
industry, it never ceases to amazeme staycy. Not only the hot summer
sun, but let's not forget thewind. Oh yeah, definitely that wind.

(25:11):
It's unreal how quickly that can dryup. Yeah, because plants have
their little stomata open, they're tryingto photosynthesize, and that just leaves them
open to losing water vapor and thatis really expedited under windy conditions. So
yes, you can keep them.I will confess fully right now, I
have and continue to keep boatloads ofplants in their nursery containers around my yard

(25:33):
in my nursery area. You arenot alone. This is much more common
than you might think. But Ido want to just advise you briefly Kathley
before we move on perfecting me intoAzaleas are considered hardy to USDA's own six
B, so we've had great successwith them here in West Michigan. But
generally, when it comes to growingsomething that's kind of marginally hardy where you're
pushing its hardiness, I do generallyprefer spring planting so that the plant has

(25:59):
the longest possible time to develop aroot system before it gets really challenged with
winter, which it certainly will inusdas on six B. So I don't
think it's a problem to keep themtheir containers, but I would if you
can think about trying to plant themin spring rather than trying to get them
in the ground in fall. Idon't know what your schedule's like, but

(26:21):
they will be happier and you willprobably be happier with the results if they
have that longer period to get establishedbefore the harsh weather comes in Stacy Nancy's
wondering how best to care for rowsof sharing plants growing in my Zone six
B clay soil. You can seefrom photos that Nancy sent us where the
roots are surfacing. One plant wasshowing significant what I determined to be chlorosis.

(26:45):
I use the iron tone Midsummer.I think it helped. I don't
plan on moving the plants, wonderingif I can top dress the beds with
mulch and just let them be.I know they won't thrive where they're planted,
but I do want them to survive. Thanks for all the information,
you know. I would agree Stacythat the iron tone, well, maybe
it helps, but it's a bandaid because again, clay soil is a

(27:08):
condition, and if that condition doesn'tchange, if there's poor drainage and not
sufficient oxygen to the roots, you'regoing to continue to have problems. Right
And you know, I did notsure at least Nancy's picture with you,
but I my jaw dropped. Nancy, I will tell you if you're listening,
when I saw how much these rootshave surfaced, I've never quite seen

(27:29):
anything like what she is describing.You know, It's not like, uh,
you know, if you have atree and the roots kind of bubble
up to the top as they mature. No, these roots are fully exposed,
big roots of the rosa Sharon.So, I don't know if there
was like a big soil wash outor if they you know, they had
been under a bunch of mulch andwere surface roots, but that's not ideal.

(27:49):
It doesn't mean they can't survive.But I think that your best solution
to that aspect of the issue isdefinitely going to be a good layer of
mulch. I think that's really important. You know, they're not necessarily losing
a lot of water out of thoseroots because it's more of like the root
hairs that that's really important, andthat's more towards the living tips rather than

(28:10):
those barky, trunky roots. Butit looks they look like they are not
happy, So I would say definitelyget a good two to three layer two
to three inch layer of mulch overthose and then Rosa sharin are very heavy
feeders. They don't need the fertilizer. You know, they'll still grow and
flower well without it. But ifyou want that like lush, dark green

(28:32):
foliage, look, these are plantsyou're gonna have to fertilize, and if
they don't have proper nutrients correct asNancy says, here, you see chlorosis
yellowing of the foliage and that's unsightlyright, And I also would say they
don't worry too too much about palerfoliage in spring I do find that they
often leaf out in a paler colorthen they actually develop too. So if

(28:53):
you're looking at your Rosa Sharon rightnow and going, oh gee, mine
looks kind of pale too, whatshould I do? Don't panic about that.
But it's not a bad idea tofertilize because they really are heavy feeders
and you will get higher quality foliageand a lot more flowers if you feed
them. I think it also bringsup the point that yes, you can
garden, and you can grow inclay, but at the time of planting,

(29:15):
that's the critical point when we're goingto mix in organic material fifty to
fifty with the existing clay soil,and we're not going to just dig a
hole and create a bathb oh.Absolutely do not do that, especially if
you're planting lilacs, because the bathtubwith lilacs that is the fastest way to
kill a lilacs. Or just togo back briefly, if you're planting a
lilac this season, do not.I would recommend not amending the soil at

(29:37):
all. Just put it straight awayinto your soil, adding any kind of
organic matter potting mix. People thinkall sorts of they put all sorts of
crazy stuff in there, in theirwhole crazy stuff, I can't put them.
They think they're doing something good forthe plant, but generally speaking,
plants are just best planted in yournative soil. Richard says, I have
the Temple of Bloom seven sons hepticodiumplanted about two years ago, which is

(29:59):
done nicely Central Pennsylvania. We hada lot of rain this spring. I've
noticed new leaves are shriveling up.I've attached photos. Also in photo you
notice the brown grass around the area. Oh Zoisia grass. Oh boy,
a warm season grass in Pennsylvania.Yeah, probably be June before that turns
green. The ground area is shaled. Drain's pretty good. I've attached pictures

(30:22):
to show what's happening. I don'tknow if it's from the extra amount of
rain that Richard's been getting there inPennsylvania. Right. So, and we'll
of course put Richard's pictures as wewill put Nancy's pictures in the show notes,
and of course we'll be in theYouTube version so you can get a
picture of what we're talking about here. So, yeah, I was surprised
to see Richard's photos because Temple ofbloom. Hepticodium in general tends to be
very problem free plants. They don'treally get disease or anything like that.

(30:47):
And so what you'll see on Richard'splant is that some branches are nice and
full and healthy and green, andthen a couple of branches have these kind
of like shriveled, blackened foliage onthem. And my first thought is definitely
cold. Richard actually sent this questiona couple of weeks ago, so it's
super recent, but you know,when we were having some warm weather,
right and then some cold weather,and then you know, the warm weather

(31:10):
that we had in March really startsto accelerate things and then blamo, we
get that cold weather. Blamo,you know, and it is that's exactly
what it feels like, more likea punch in the face, and that
that can really fry, especially thattender foliage. So what I see in
Richard's photo is definitely pretty classic tome look of cold damage. And sometimes

(31:32):
people will see a plant like thatand go, well, if it's cold
damage, why did these plant theseleaves shrivel up, and these leaves are
fine, And honestly, there areso many little factors that can influence that
just the way cold air moves throughyour space. Sure you know it,
just what there could be a block, you know, something blocking the cold
air from settling on the plant somewhereelse There's It doesn't seem like those little

(31:53):
things would make a big difference,but they can. And the good news
is after cold damage, most ofthese plants, if healthy, will flush
new growth. Right, So Ithink that that is probably the case,
and you should probably by now startto see some new growth coming out.
But I do just want to cautionanybody who plants directly into turf, as
this temple of bloom hepticodium was planted, that can also cause drainage problems.

(32:16):
You know, you definitely the plantslose less water through the turf than they
would just planted in soil. I'veseen a lot of issues crop up planting
in there, so you do justwant to be a little bit more maybe
conscientious of the water it's getting.And if you have long sprinklers, then
you might want to just consider alittle less there because the shale is also

(32:36):
probably really slowing the drainage. Andthis isn't a plant that's like extremely sensitive
to poor drainage, but it isas most plants are somewhat sensitive, so
just something to consider there. Sowe're going to take a little break.
When we come back, we've gotbranching news and apparently a discussion on how
to pronounce lilac. The Gardening IsSimplified is brought to you by Proven Winner's

(33:01):
Color Choice Shrubs. Our award winningflowering shrubs and evergreens have been trialed and
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Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs and thedistinctive white container at your local garden center.
Welcome back to the Gardening Simplified Show. Hey, Stacey Adriana, We're

(33:22):
going to have a snack after theshow. I don't know why I didn't
get the memo on this for ourYouTube viewers. Look at that dill pickle
flavored sunflower seeds. How come Ididn't know about this? I didn't know
about it till you told me aboutit. Absolutely delicious. Who would have
thought dill pickle sunflower seeds? Well, snack after the show? First things

(33:45):
first, we got to talk aboutthe pronunciation of lilac because in the first
segment, and now I start tosecond guess myself, is it lilac?
Is it lilac? Is it lilac? So I thought, well, the
only way I can fix this inmy mind is to write a limerick.
So here you go. Get itright, you should say lie lack.

(34:07):
Spare me your cultural feedback. Clipsome for Mom. She'll think they're the
bomb and think you're a brainiac.Get it right, you should say lie
luck. It's grammar gone amuck.So everyone just relax. Are there rules
of syntax? I guess I'm simplydumbstruck. Get it right? You should

(34:28):
say lie lock, Disagree, retort, and squawk. The results are the
same fragrance that's insane, regardless ofhow you talk. And I have people
who say that to me all thetime that I talk funny, they recognize
my voice. So that's why Itried to wrestle with this because Stacy,
I still don't know if it's lielac, lie Luck, or lie lock,

(34:51):
but I did a little research onit and found it it's all contingent on
your local dialect. How you pronounceit right makes sense. And you know
what I always say about pronunciation.As long as you walk out of the
garden center with the plant that youwanted that's all that really matters. But
I will say several years back,we did a radio commercial about bloomerng Lilac,

(35:14):
and we had hired voice talent theagency who did the commercial for us,
and honestly I missed it completely,but the actress who was doing the
voice said Lilac. And you wouldnot believe the mail that we got in
response to this. People freaked out. So I'm onto something here. Well,

(35:36):
no, they it's Lilac, Iknow, and I like the way
you say it. But you know, Stacy, you're one of these people
where words just roll off your tongue. It's so eloquent, whereas with me,
it's like Lilac. You know,Lilac insurance commercial exactly Lilac, and
that's who I have my insurance.So but it's actually Lilac. I mean,

(36:01):
I'm an open minded on this pronunciationthing. It does sound funny to
my ear to hear Lilac or Lilac, but I know what we're talking about,
and that's the important thing. It'strue. It's true, it is
you will get it. We I'msure we will get some opinionated comment ares
on this, and I'm looking atwell, yeah, so but yeah,

(36:22):
I mean I always say lilac.All right. Well, along that subject,
the Rochester Red Wings, that's aminor league baseball team, have found
a way to bring the flowers tothe field. From May fourteen to May
nineteen this year, the Red Wingswill wear uniforms featuring Rochester's iconic lilacs front

(36:44):
and center. They were designed bya member of the Wings major League baseball
affiliate team, the Washington Nationals.So flower city there in Rochester, New
York. These people love Rochester.They bleed purple, they just love it.
The Lilac Festival May ten through Maynineteen. So they've got a great

(37:07):
minor league baseball team. They're greatballpark in Rochester, and they will be
wearing lilacs this year. Well,well, two wonderful things, baseball and
gardening. Gotta love that. Throwinga little apple pie and you're all set
some hot dogs. That's amazing.And I am looking forward to hearing how
in Rochester, New York, theypronounce lilac. Oh, that's a good

(37:30):
question, or syringa or syringa forthat. We do have a Rochester native
on staff here, so I amgoing to ask him. Very good speaking
of that, fresh spring lilac sentForty three percent of Americans say one of
the best home compliments they can receiveis your home smells so good. According
to new research, survey of adultsfound that home fragrances play a role in

(37:54):
cleaning routines and found that fifty fivepercent say that the way a home smells
is even more important than how itlooks. So I found this survey to
be very interesting. People would want. Respondents would want their home to smell
like fresh laundry, linen, oceanbreeze, lavender, vanilla, and lemon

(38:20):
or citrus. So there was nolilac in here, but I'm sure that
there are people who would go forlilac. Also, so interesting survey that
we're going to put on the websiteGardeningsimplified on air dot Com. I guess
it doesn't surprise me too much thatthat's a big deal with folks. No,
But it also doesn't surprise me thatthey don't want lilac, because you

(38:44):
know, I love perfume, andI have a lot of fragrances that are
soliflora or based on a single flower, and I find that I cannot wear
them outside of that plant's bloom time. It feels so unnatural. It feels
so weird to me. So maybelike you know, if it's you know,
November and your house is smelling likelilac, people feel like it's a
little bit it's a little bit weird. You know. It's true. At

(39:06):
one time I ordered a cologne thatsmelled like a freshly mode lawn. It
really did. It smelled like afreshly mode lawn and I could not wear
it in winter. Yeah, itjust feels out of place. It was
out of place. I don't wearit anymore. Got too many funny looks.
Longevity does that to you. Itmakes you no. It gives you

(39:30):
common sense, from marshmallows to meatballs, beef jerky and hot dogs. A
new study has found how Americans areexpressing their creative taste buds when it comes
to their salads, along with whatthe perfect salad looks like. So aside
from occasional topping oddities, and peopledo put things like beef jerky, meatballs,

(39:50):
and hot dogs on their salad believeit or not, Okay, most
people are opting for number one choicecheese, oh heck you yeah, tomatoes,
bacon, crutins, crotons, kroutons, how do you want to pronounce
those? I'm just having fun withyou here. And cucumbers. Those are

(40:13):
the favorite toppings. This lilac thinghas really got me messed up. To
add, the best salad dressings arenumber one, Ranch, then Italian,
and then Caesar's topping. But forsixty one percent, the real main character
of salads are well the greens involved, right yeah, yeah, the best

(40:36):
of which were Romaine, Iceberg,spinach, spring mix, and crunchy green
lettuce. So there you go,whatever your choice. Let us romaine friends,
right yeah, okay, over aquarter believe they could turn any type
of sandwich into a salad. Ohso think about sandwich peanut, butter and

(41:00):
jelly, Yeah exactly, or itbrings up the point. Is a hot
dog a sandwich? Yes? Ofcourse the hot dogs a sandwich. It's
a sandwich. Yeah, I meanit's a sandwich ish. It meets the
definition of a sandwich. It's like, you know, it's a meat between
bread. So yeah, well waitare we going to get comments and notes

(41:22):
on this show? Galore? Sotop five things that make your salad appetizing.
Number one on the list, freshnessmakes sense. The dressing is number
two, the quality of the lettucesnumber three, toppings are number four,
and then the harmony of different flavorscomes in at number five. I'm hungry,

(41:45):
I didn't have lunch today. Asalad sounds good. Yeah, I'm
thinking I'm gonna go to stop thestore and get some salad fixings. I'll
put some crotons on it. Therumors are true. Vegetables aren't real.
That is in botany anyway. Whilethe term fruit is wreckedognized botanically as anything
that contains a seed or seeds,vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term for

(42:07):
many types of edible plants. Youmight think you know what carrots and beets
are. Carrots, beets, andother vegetables that grow in the ground are
actually the true roots of plants.Lettuce and spinach, our leaves, celery
and asparagus are stems. Greens suchas broccoli, artichokes, and culliflowers are

(42:28):
immature flowers. Now, this isall according to Steve Reiners, a professor
of horticulture at Cornell University's College ofAgriculture and Life Sciences. So he's just
trying to get us straightened out.Ear, cucumbers, squash, eggplant.
Avocados are also classified as fruit accordingto the European Food Information So I guess

(42:54):
I don't know. I just throwthat out there because it's one of those
fun things to debate. Well,you know, the whole vegetable fruit thing
that just dates back to Victorian arbitrarylike sweet things or fruits, savory things
are vegetable, so it's completely youknow, arbitrary. But do you know,
whatever you whatever you want, tomatotomato, it's been fun. Let's

(43:16):
call the whole thing off. ThanksStacey, it's been a fun show.
Thank you so much, Adriana,and thank you to you. Thanks for
watching us on YouTube, listening onradio, and listening to our podcast,
The Gardening Simplified Show. Have agreat week.