One of the things I miss the most living in an apartment in the city, is the scent of Lilacs floating on the breeze. The smell of lilacs, for me, brings back memories of my childhood with days spent at grandma’s house where she had a string of lilac bushes bordering her yard. My sister, my cousins, and I used to have a ball playing hide and seek, and tag around those bushes. And in the spring when they were blooming, all you could smell was the sweet scent of lilacs when you came out grandma’s front door. I think that’s why to this day they evoke such a strong response for me.
My family lived in a small village when I was growing up, and the school was a 10 minute walk from our home. I remember there were several large lilac bushes growing along the sidewalks going to and from the school and in the spring as I walked home, I would stop to admire them and sometimes pick a few to take home with me.
Years later when my (now ex) husband and I bought our first home, the back yard was just a big rectangle of grass except for a snowball bush, and a dead rosebush, scattered in odd places in the yard.
One of the first things I remember doing that summer, after we were settled in, was to go out and buy some lilac bushes to plant at the end of the yard. I could hardly wait to see them grow and I remember being so excited to see the first blossoms on those bushes!
I went on to plant quite a few other plants over the few years I lived there; tulips, daffodils, bleeding hearts, peonies, butterfly bushes…but my favourite flowers were always the lilacs. I left that house (and my husband) almost 9 years ago and I often wonder if those bushes are still there in the yard.
I live in an apartment now, so there are no lilacs or flowers of any sort in my yard, instead I have a patio that I rarely use. So every year I try to take a drive to search out a place where they are abundant, and where I can take a walk down memory lane.
Do you have a favourite flower and a story behind why you love it? I would love to hear it.
Life, Tea, and Everything 
I don’t think I have a favorite flower per se, but if it’s purple I love it. I will say, I love the smells of orange blossoms. Honestly, I love the smell any white flower gives, like Magnolias or Jasmine. They all have a similar perfune and it does something to me. But orange blossoms are the absolute best. That smell just instantly makes me feel good.
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I love other purple flowers too. I don’t think I’ve ever had the opportunity to smell orange blossoms, jasmine or magnolias other than in perfumes. I do love jasmine tea though, it gives off such a lovely scent!
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I live in Riverside county in Southern California and our nickname is citrus city. At certain times of the year, Iran age blossoms are abundant.
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I’m located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada…no orange blossoms here!
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My goodness Kate! As I was reading your post I was thinking – I could have written this!! The smell of lilacs are the pure definition of spring for me! We had a gigantic lilac bush just outside of our back door growing up and the smell of lilacs would fill the house every time the windows or door were open! And just like you when my ex and I split up I felt so sad to leave all of my flowers behind. When my current husband and I bought our house the first thing I did was plant a ton of daffodils, some forsythia bushes and yup – lilacs!! The forsythia and daffodils really took off but I’m still waiting to smell those lilacs again!! 😀
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If I remember correctly it took a couple of years for mine to bloom after I planted them. I was so excited the first time I saw flowers on them!
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Lots of flowers evoke memories for me. Dahlias remind me of my Auntie June. She had a garden full of them and every September she would let us pick bunches of them. Primroses remind me of being out on the farm with my Dad and helping with lambing time, as they flower at the same time of year. Lots of memories like that. 🙂
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I love pink roses, and tulips. My children bought me home lilac flowers the other day and I popped them in a milk jug. They do smell beautiful! 😊
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Pink roses are lovely. I had tulips planted when I had a garden, they were the second flowers to bloom every spring after the daffodils. I loved them just because they were one of the first signs of spring.
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Where I live there are fields of tulips and daffodils all spring! It makes for a lovely drive to work! 😊
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That would make for a nice drive!
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