An Early Birthday Present

I can't even tell you what a fun surprise it was to have a friend bring over this lilac tree as an early birthday present.. I love lilacs and have always wanted one of my very own.  I've tried to grow them from a start but summer heat, and sporadic watering meant they never thrived. (I feel like I'll be able to garden from seeds and young starts better when I don't have so many little people)  So instead of getting me a start, she got me a hearty tree so I can't kill it again.  That's a true friend. This make me smile.  I can't wait to plant it and next spring we should have some beautiful blooms.

Side note:  When Tony and I were first married and living in our 2 bedroom in South Tacoma, we were busy with school and work and married life.  Our decently landscaped yard became a jungle that first year.  In the four years we lived there, I feel like I started to love yard work more than I ever did before.  I learned a lot from both sets of parents.  We had 3 lilac trees at that house and they shoot off so many little starts that I constantly weeded them out.  In hindsight, I wished I'd grabbed one then and started planting it in a pot.  I did do that with blueberries so I took blueberries to each of the other houses we've lived in.  At that Tacoma house I also learned to love hydrangeas.  Our last house had two hydrangeas but no lilacs.  This house now has a lilac and a hydrangea.  Perfect!