Low Chill Lilacs
Certainly the most popular plants at Carroll Gardens this year have been the lilacs that do not require cold winters to bloom: 'Lavender Lady,' 'Blue Skies' and 'Angel White.' The April issue of Southern Living magazine mentioned that these lilacs bloom well in the south without the normal cold period required for regular French hybrid lilacs. Although these lilacs were bred and selected in Southern California, they also thrive throughout the southeast, as well as the coldest parts of the United States.
Even in Zone 7, normal French hybrid lilacs can be variable in bloom depending upon the winter weather. Low chill lilacs are much more reliable. Commonly called Descanso hybrids, all are fragrant, mildew resistant, vigorous growing, and deer resistant. They are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. Like all lilacs they do best in full sun with well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil. They should be fed with Bulb-tone in very early spring and should not dry out during the flowering period. All mature at about 8-10 feet tall.
'Lavender Lady' was developed by Walter Lammerts at Rancho del Descanso-a former wholesale nursery that's now the site of Descanso Gardens, a botanical garden open to the public. Lavender Lady is a true Descanso hybrid.
'Angel White' was selected and introduced from Lammerts' original stock by Monrovia nurseries.
'Blue Skies' is of similar breeding, but was developed in California by pre-eminent rose breeder Ralph Moore. 'Blue Skies' is my favorite of the three. Its habit is slightly more compact; it is the most fragrant and the heaviest bloomer.
From 2-gallon pots at $28.85 each. Collection of all 3 for $74.85. |
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Garden Club Questions and Answers
Question: I have the worst crop of ants ever. They are all around the house. They are throughout the lawn. I used to use Dursban, but I can't seem to find it. I have also used Diazanon, but that seems to have disappeared also. What do you suggest? Answer: You are right; Diazanon and Dursban are no longer available. Of the remaining available insecticides for ants, the best that I have been able to find is Delta Eight from Bonide. I have had good results with this product. Question: My lawn has areas where the grass is much lighter green. I don't remember that I had this problem last summer. Short of digging out these patches, is there any other solution? Answer: You have annual blue grass. It germinated from seed last fall and grew all winter. Once the weather turns hot at the end of the spring or early summer it will die. It will drop its seeds before it dies. These seeds will germinate next fall and the process begins all over again. The best way to interrupt the cycle is to apply Greenlight Dimension Crabgrass Preventer around Labor Day. Applied at this time, Dimension prevents annual blue grass from sprouting. Be aware that you can not seed the lawn this fall if you apply Dimension this fall.Question: My Forsythia is not as beautiful as it used to be. I have noticed woody growths on the stems. Could that be the problem? Answer: You have forsythia gall. To the best of my knowledge there is no known cure and it is becoming much more prevalent recently. The gall weakens the shrub and reduces blooming. You can achieve some control by cutting out the affected stems. On severely infested plants you can try cutting the forsythia to the ground and letting it grow back from the roots. My experience has been that the gall usually returns and the forsythia never totally regains its previous vigor. In severely infected cases, if you decide to tear out the forsythia, to prevent recurrence I suggest planting something else to replace it.
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