My friend and I had determined that we’d try to see if Lilacland was open. I’d looked for their Facebook page in vain this year. They had closed for the pandemic and hadn’t been open last year. So we had the address and we set off.
Judging by the cars lining the road as we approached, it was open! As we walked in the entrance there were lilacs to smell and farther in, this lovely apple tree.
My friend went in to see the art exhibit (I’d seen it before and sat outside) and she found articles that indicated they had originally been in Prescott, MA, one of the towns that got flooded and abandoned when the Quabbin reservoir was built. As a result they found 10 acres in Pelham, MA, near to the University of Massachusetts.
The buds on this one gave it a 2 tone appearance.
They planned to raise fruit and nut trees and wanted to be close enough to consult the Ag dept. The trees mostly failed and soil testing indicated that lilacs would grow well there. So there are a few fruit trees spread around through the lilacs.
There are about 300 different varieties of lilacs here. We smelled as many as we could, white, pink, dark, light, and doubled.
This bush was our favorite due to color and shape. It also had the pleasing lilac smell. Some had no scent, some were lightly scented, and some didn’t smell much like lilac, just a sweet floral scent.
Also on our way in there was this glorious redbud!
Several of the single white ones had little or no scent. But this big double did!
We were there for about 1½ hours and we couldn’t have asked for a better day. Even though there were lots of cars, the way the land folds and rises and falls kept us from seeing more than a small group or 2 of people at a time. Some people were picnicking under the lilacs. My friend said next year, we’ll have to bring a lunch.
There were quite a few new plantings around the grounds and we wandered among them. On the way out I saw my first bluets, nice large blue ones. We headed out to find a restaurant she wanted to try and got lost. We eventually found it, but it was closed. So we headed mostly back the way we had come to go to a market she liked to pick up something to eat.
When I got home, my tenant was digging the holes for the new trees. And my brother had returned from his trip. So finally the holes are started. Now I must remove the grass from the compost pile and make amendment. I’ll probably do the grass this afternoon and when my helper friend comes on Tuesday we will make a lot of amendment. The trees will arrive in the next day or so.
On Monday I have errands, laundry, phone calls, and grass to remove. Another busy day.