After spending most of my childhood in central California (where they can’t grow lilacs), I lived in upstate New York for six years and discovered the blissful scent that arrives after plenty of spring rains. I’m talking about the heavenly scent of lilac blossoms. I lived in the town of Brighton, less than a mile from Highland Park where thousands of people converge every spring for the annual Lilac Festival (http://www.lilacfestival.com/ ).
One of the terrific things about living where I do in Boise is that our weather here is also perfect for growing lilacs. We had several warm days last week, followed by three days of drenching rain this week, and the lilacs are popping like purple (and white) popcorn.
Sure, the daffodils and hyacinths and tulips are all in bloom too, but for my money, nothing perfumes the air and heralds the arrival of spring more than the scent of lilacs. I wish I had smell-o-vision so you could appreciate that as beautiful as these flowers are, they’re nothing compared to how wonderful they smell. Time to get outside!
