Sensation

A lilac of a different colour...Sensation Lilac.  The purplish-red florets edged with pure white really are sensational.

Many years ago I worked at a garden centre where my chief responsibility was to order, care for and manage the tree lot.  I always looked forward to the small potted Sensation Lilacs arriving from the nursery and blooming in all their glory.  People were always wary of them for some reason unknown to me making them a tough sell.  The strangest remark I ever heard from a customer was, "it's too pretty to be hardy here."  Ahhh...ye of little faith.

Way back then I used to design private gardens and sometimes plant them as well.  Sensation Lilac was one shrub I often used in those designs...something familiar but different.  Many of those yards I no longer tend but the few I do have excellent specimens that are not only attractive but also tough as nails, as the saying goes.  The one shown here is about thirty-five years old and twelve feet tall.  I'm sure it will be around to be enjoyed for many more years to come. 

And yes, they do have that wonderful lilac fragrance. 

Photographed at Lucy the Springer Spaniel's yard in Medicine Hat, Alberta on May 30, 2022.