In down home NC the lilacs 'come & go in a heated rush' and it is So disappointing. I wanted to experience the LILAC that made it's legend and finally coincided a visit to my daughter's farm in NYS at lilac time; a full month and a half after their flash appearance in NC.
As soon as, as SOON as we crossed the state line into NY, there, even at an abandoned truck weigh station (i now have a higher regard for NY truckers) were clumps in several colors. As we drove on through the state, it became apparent that lilacs outnumber the people. My kind of place.
I was a little worried that we might have been too late for the peak of their bloom, and we were just a bit but it mattered not. Here in the cooler climate (frost on May 22) they blossom in s l o w motion, the opposite of what they do down here.
I was not prepared for the gorgeousness of their shades of colors, even on one cluster. I had read about double flowers but had never seen one. The fragrance seemed to be most prevalent in the evenings, after the day had warmed up and would waft through opened windows.
Besides attending a Very Special Baby Shower, on my agenda was to deepen the enfleurage pommade i had started in March, when i forced my own puny specimens in the glasshouse. Once surrounded by these bent & twisted elders (one clump was swallowing the pear tree) i fell down the lilac rabbit hole. The house itself is 222 years old; could one of these lilacs be close to that old??
Did i mention the Very Special Baby Shower? I had brought along my new prize possession; 'Cooking with Flowers' by Miche Bacher which had my head spinning with possibilities for something supremely fabulous. I went for lilac jelly as i was bewitched by the jewel tones. I was hoping the jelly/syrup would actually turn out to be the same color as the infusion, and next time i will use a pectin that doesn't require lemon juice; which wonked it into day glow pink.
Never having made jelly before, we ended up with lilac syrup but i heard no complaints. Also, lilac shortbread had to appear to pour it on. (As i am sugar sensitive, i was not able to have even a taste of these two delights but was assured over and over that yes it tastes of lilac and i watched it merrily disappear.)
As soon as, as SOON as we crossed the state line into NY, there, even at an abandoned truck weigh station (i now have a higher regard for NY truckers) were clumps in several colors. As we drove on through the state, it became apparent that lilacs outnumber the people. My kind of place.
I was a little worried that we might have been too late for the peak of their bloom, and we were just a bit but it mattered not. Here in the cooler climate (frost on May 22) they blossom in s l o w motion, the opposite of what they do down here.
I was not prepared for the gorgeousness of their shades of colors, even on one cluster. I had read about double flowers but had never seen one. The fragrance seemed to be most prevalent in the evenings, after the day had warmed up and would waft through opened windows.
Besides attending a Very Special Baby Shower, on my agenda was to deepen the enfleurage pommade i had started in March, when i forced my own puny specimens in the glasshouse. Once surrounded by these bent & twisted elders (one clump was swallowing the pear tree) i fell down the lilac rabbit hole. The house itself is 222 years old; could one of these lilacs be close to that old??
Did i mention the Very Special Baby Shower? I had brought along my new prize possession; 'Cooking with Flowers' by Miche Bacher which had my head spinning with possibilities for something supremely fabulous. I went for lilac jelly as i was bewitched by the jewel tones. I was hoping the jelly/syrup would actually turn out to be the same color as the infusion, and next time i will use a pectin that doesn't require lemon juice; which wonked it into day glow pink.
Never having made jelly before, we ended up with lilac syrup but i heard no complaints. Also, lilac shortbread had to appear to pour it on. (As i am sugar sensitive, i was not able to have even a taste of these two delights but was assured over and over that yes it tastes of lilac and i watched it merrily disappear.)
BTW; the Lily of the Valley up there beat the pants off mine as well.
