CHAPTER XII 

 IN "LILACDOM" 



THE MOST ADAPTABLE GROUP OF FLOWERING SHRUBS 

 FOR FLORAL USE 



IILACS are among the few hardy shrubs that 

 have truly entered into their kingdom in 

 — 4 the gardens of eastern North America. They 

 need no introduction to readers and well they merit 

 their popularity. For regions where cold winters are 

 followed by hot, dry summers they are ideal shrubs. 

 The Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is the most ac- 

 commodating of plants and thrives in all sorts of 

 queer places and under all sorts of adverse conditions, 

 but its progeny and its congeners are more exacting, 

 and if good results are expected the plants must be 

 treated liberally. 



Now, the Common Lilac is native of the moun- 

 tains of Bulgaria and was sent from Constantinople 

 to Vienna about 1560. From there it soon reached 

 western Europe and both purple and white kinds 

 were cultivated in London in 1597, by Gerard. It is 

 not known with certainty when, or by whom, this 



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