Let The Purple Explosion Begin

“Skies are blue and friendships true, in sunny old Spokane. The lilacs bloom ‘neath a silver moon, in sunny old Spokane.”

You guessed it, it’s lilac time in our fair city. As the words of “Sunny Spokane” convey, lilacs have inspired not only composers to write about them, but artists to paint them and poets to wax romantic about them.

Though we’re the Lilac City, lilacs are not native to this region. In fact, lilacs are not native to any part of the Americas. It is believed the lilac (syringa vulgaris) originated on the steep slopes of the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, where even now it grows wild. It wasn’t until 1563 that this hardy plant made its way into Europe.

Lilacs became established in our area by way of the pioneers. As a testament to their hardiness, this shrub can still be found blooming around old abandoned homesteads.

Yet it wasn’t until 1912 that they were truly recognized. Through the cooperative efforts of the leading authority on lilacs, Dr. Dunbar of New York, and Spokane’s park superintendent, John W. Duncan, 128 hybrid lilacs were sent to Spokane. Alex Lowe, the florist at Manito Park, was given the task of grafting these lilacs on California privet. In 1916 the newly grafted shrubs were planted in Spokane parks.

Later, with the urging and support of Lila Sayre, then president of the Musical Arts Society, Dr. S.E. Lambert, W.T. Triplett, Duncan and the Spokane Daily Chronicle, garden clubs promoted the planting of lilacs throughout the city. Through the effort of these leaders, Spokane would become known as the Lilac City, complete with a lilac festival.

The first festival was held in May 1938, sponsored by the Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane. Chaired by Mrs. E.R. Northrup, it consisted of an elaborate flower show and parade, and of course, bundles of lilac shoot giveaways.

If you are a collector, you may even have one of the original lilac stickers with the slogan “Spokane’s Best When Lilac Drest.”

The Associated Garden Clubs are still recognized for their contributions to the festival. The president, along with an honored member of the organization, ride in a VIP car in the Lilac Parade. The honored member is chosen for his or her outstanding contributions to the organization and the community.

This year, the Member of the Year is Larry Littman. In addition to Littman’s extensive involvement in Associated’s activities, he belongs to the Iris Society, the Lilac Society, the Floral Art Designers’ Guild, the Sandy Hill Spadettes and Federated Garden Clubs. He has chaired flower shows for both Associated and Federated and has won every ribbon Spokane garden clubs offer.

He has worked professionally as a floral designer in Spokane as well as volunteered his time and talent to his church, Our Place (which caters to the homeless), and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He also supplies the VA nursing home with his outstanding arrangements.

Congratulations, Larry.

Though the emphasis of the festival has changed over the years, garden clubs and especially the Lilac Society still encourage everyone to plant at least one lilac in his or her garden.

Judging from lilac longevity in our area, the cultural needs are few:

They are not particular about soil type. The only requirement is that they have excellent drainage. They are best planted when dormant - either spring or fall.

They will grow in full sun to part shade.

Though they are drought tolerant, they will perform better with thorough, regular waterings.

If fertilizing is called for, fertilize with either a liquid 20-20-20 or a granular 16-16-16 during May or early June.

Pruning is not always necessary. Try not to prune at all for the first few years. Do not trim the ends of the branches in hopes of stimulating growth. Trimming the branches only reduces the number of blooms, which are formed during the summer on new wood.

When collecting a bouquet for the table, do not remove the two leafy branches closest to the flower head. These are next year’s flower buds.

To renovate an old plant, simply remove some of the oldest branches to the ground. Try not to prune more than a fifth of the shoots that have already bloomed. By applying this method, the shrub is left with a solid framework on which new growth can quickly become established.

Happy 60th anniversary, Lilac Festival. As the Associated Garden Clubs’ car passes by, give the riders a hearty cheer for their contributions to our fair city, past and present.