Gathering attention

As garden designers start to reappraise lilacs, we take a look at the fascinating French history of the once ubiquitous English garden shrub and re-examine some forgotten cultivars

-  JOHN HOYLAND

At the end of the Second World War, Ivor Novello’s We’ll Gather Lilacs was one of the most popular songs in Britain. Recorded by many performers, the sentimental song held out a promise to weary soldiers of a springtime reunion with loved ones, gathering lilacs and strolling down country lanes. What could be more British? Lilacs were a fixture of most gardens; their perfume was the scent of late spring and generous bouquets of the flowers were commonplace in parlours and sitting rooms.

The likelihood is, though, that those oh-soBritish shrubs were, in fact, French.