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| Lilac love affair: This collection features over 800 varieties (March 2008) |
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By Larry Reichenberger
An internationally renowned lilac collection is right at home in an unexpected place
The sweet smell of lilacs in bloom is enough to make anyone’s mind wander—but it was enough to
launch Max Peterson on a lifelong quest. That effort started nearly 40 years ago for the Nebraska farmer, whose love affair with lilacs has taken root and grown into the largest private collection in the world.
"When I grew up, my mother had three or four lilac bushes in the yard," says Peterson.
"They were still there when I took over the farm in 1964. I decided I wanted to plant more and learned there were 3,000 varieties of lilacs. I became a charter member of the International Lilac Society and since then it’s become
an obsession—we’re now growing 812 varieties that are adapted here, and continue to add a few more every year."
Max and his wife, Darlene, operate Meadowlark
Hill Lilac Gardens on their farm near Ogallala, Neb. The four acres of lilacs are a bright
and colorful island lost in miles of wheat and corn fields that surround them. "The lilacs bloom in May and we open the gardens to visitors for a couple of weeks at that time," says Darlene. "We’ve had as many as 2,000 visitors per year from every state in the U.S. as well as many from Europe and Russia. We also get many visitors from Canada. Lilacs there are beautiful."
Touring the gardens. Max walks the rows of lilac bushes like a caring but unpretentious parent. In fact, his extensive efforts at crossing lilac varieties have resulted in 18 new ones, including a dwarf double-white type named after the couple’s daughter, Beth.
"Beth is a very nice lilac, and we are
proud of the fact that it’s growing in the Queen
of England’s garden at Buckingham Palace.
Her gardener requested two of our dwarf varieties
several years ago, so we sent Beth and
another named Wonder Blue," says Max.
Another of Max’s creations is a variety
called Raspberry Ice, which nurseries will
soon begin marketing. "It’s another dwarf
variety that grows 4- to 5-feet tall instead of
the standard 10- to 12-foot height," he says.
"The biggest reaction we get from visitors
is surprise at the many different kinds of
lilacs that exist," says Max. "There are seven
colors—along with white and traditional lilac
colors, there are violet, purple, blue, pink,
and red. Lilacs are either early, medium, or
late maturity with single, double, or semi-double
blooms. Single blooms (the original type)
have four petals while doubles may have up to
30 petals. Semi-doubles have up to 10 petals.
"Another misconception is that lilacs are
French," adds Max. "A breeder in France
named LeMoyne was the first to create double-
bloom types, but lilacs are originally from
China and Korea."
Planting pointers. Lilacs are a spring-time
reward for those who suffer through cold winters,
quips Max. "They have to freeze in the
winter, so they won’t grow well in the South."
"The best advice I can give is to buy a
lilac bush that’s growing on its own roots,"
says Max. "Ask the nurseryman this, because
sometimes they create beautiful lilacs more
quickly by grafting onto the root system of a
more common type. However, suckers that
develop later from the crown of the root system
will be the original type, so the buyer
may be disappointed."
"There are many types of beautiful lilacs,
so it’s a good idea to go to an arboretum or a
specialized lilac nursery to see what’s available, or order a catalog from them," Max
continues. "Then, talk to local nurseries to
see what’s adapted to your area. Checking out
different types makes growing lilacs fun."
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