Reblooming Lilac

Reblooming lilac "Josee"

Earlier today I finished deadheading my reblooming lilac bush.  My first lilac bush is an old-fashioned one, which every spring bears loads of those lovely, fragrant flowers.  When a few years ago I saw ads for a reblooming lilac, a variety named Josee, I was thrilled at the thought of enjoying them more than once a year. 


So I sent off for one, and planted it out in my back yard.  Since becoming established, it's flowered heavily each spring. You have to deadhead it after blooming, so that it can bloom again.  It has borne a few flowers along in the summer, and a few more as it gets to fall.  It's never had nearly as many flowers later in the season than in its spring blossoming.

I've enjoyed those lilac flowers that came in the summer, and that incredible aroma, but did feel a bit of disappointment that it never had a second heavy flowering. I later found out that Josee requires cooler summers than we get around here to have that kind of heavy reblooming. 

A more recent type of reblooming lilac, "Boomerang," sounds like it may do better for rebloom around here.  Maybe I can find a place to put one in my yard, so that I can find out for myself. In any case, lilacs are welcome whenever they bloom!