Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/119920
Syringa x josiflexa Pest and Diseases Syringa x chinensis open to paler flowers. They start blooming at the end of May and continue through June. On average all the above lilacs will grow 3 to 4 m high and 3 m wide. For smaller gardens, a better choice might be one of the little-leaf or Asian lilacs. Less than half the size of their cousins, they are also hardier and healthier. Their short, dense heads are not quite as showy but they are just as fragrant. 'Miss Kim' has lavender-blue flowers with a spicy scent and leaves that turn purple in fall. 'Palibin' is particularly compact, making a neat, rounded shrub about 1.5 metres in diameter. Its flowers are lilac-pink. Recently, research has concentrated on extending the bloom time and reducing the size of new introductions. Strong pink 'Tinkerbelle' and lavender-pink 'Josee' are dwarf varieties that will not exceed 2 metres. In ideal conditions, both will produce a sprinkling of later flowers. 'Bloomerang' is shorter still and claims to be the first repeat-blooming lilac. ■ French lilacs in particular can suffer from powdery mildew in summer. Most gardeners turn a blind eye to it, knowing that it will not affect the vigour of the plant. Choose one of the little-leaf lilacs like 'Miss Kim' for better health. Leaf miner is an occasional problem, showing up as scorched brown blotches. Remove leaves as soon as you see symptoms, bag them and put into the garbage. PHOTOS Previous page, Pernilla Bergdahl/GAP Photos; this page, from left, Adrian Bloom/GAP Photos, Julie Dansereau/GAP Photos, Martin Staffler/GAP Photos, Julie Dansereau/GAP Photos April 2013 BC HOME & garden | 53 p50-53_Lilacs.indd 53 13-03-14 10:13 AM