Lilacs

Late April to early May is the blooming time for lilacs here in the Shire.

The sweet scent, gentle purple blossoms, 

and graceful habit make lilacs popular.

We don't get enough sun to grow them around our house,

but they are considered an easy-to-grow shrub for Tidewater.

They are also good for attracting honey bees and butterflies.

Not to mention how pretty they are both in the garden

and cut for bouquets in the house.

This light violet color is the one I normally think of for lilacs:

morguefile.com

But there are darker purple ones:

morguefile.com

And lacy white ones:

photo from Google Images, landscaping.about.com

I didn't know it before, but lilacs have a secret life

as an ingredient for wine making.

Lilac wine, sometimes called French lilac, is said to be sweet, but not cloying.

The web site Leslie Land has an interesting account of lilac wine

and includes a recipe.

photo from http://leslieland.com/2009/05/lilac-wine/

Lemons, lilac petals, sugar, and yeast are apparently all it takes.

I would love to taste some just to see what it's like.

I can imagine it would make a good accompaniment

 for an afternoon tea or a light summer supper.

But considering that home made wines can be bitter and unappealing,

that may just be a romantic notion.

Even so, it's nice to know lilacs are one of the nice things about May,

however they reach our senses.

<>