Yard Projects: Lilacs!

Earlier this spring, when the lilacs bloomed, I put some in a vase that was my Grandmom's.  They were so beautiful and fragrant!

This is what one of the bushes looked like before I touched it.

The first project that I did was my lilac bushes.  I have seven mature, twelve foot lilac bushes in my back yard.  I had done nothing to them last year, and they obviously had gone a long time without receiving any love by the previous owner.  I had heard that the ideal time to cut them back was right after they finished blooming, and with our early spring here in Colorado, I needed to start that project about three or four weeks ago.  So, I got to work.  I know nothing about them, so I watched a two-minute video on youtube and felt like I was an expert!  I went outside and opened up a can on those things.  The video (and, everyone that I had talked to about them, by the way) said to cut the top third off.  So, I did.  I’m not sure that anyone knew how mature they were, though.  Taking off the top third means that I no longer have any shade in my backyard and they look like they’ve had a bad haircut (something that feels just wrong to a hairstylist).  I’m not sure that I’ll ever follow the rules again.  Plus, I’m a little worried that they’re not going to come back the same…Three feet is a lot to come back in a year.  I think I’ll wait until the end of the summer next year so that I can keep my shade.  All in all it was a ton of work, took me three and a half afternoons, and filled more than two dumpsters with branches.  I found a bird nest in one of the branches, and instead of thinking it was really cool, for some reason it completely sicked me out.  

This is what one of them looks like with a bad haircut.  I only took off the top third.  I swear.

I finished the project a week and a half ago, and my arms and legs still have scratches all over them.  I look like I was in a serious bike wreck or a bad catfight.