Lilacs

Their fragrance is intoxicating.  Although lilacs only bloom for two or three weeks a year, gardeners plant lilacs just for those fews days of intense fragrance and beauty.  The scent is unforgettable, and strongly linked to memories of youth and romance.

Lilacs have been part of our culture forever...well, at least as far back as the ancient Greeks.  There's a Greek myth about Pan, the god of the forests and fields, who chases a lovely nymph named Syringa through the forest.  She can't stand him.  So, she turns herself into a lilac bush.  The end.  That's it.  There's nothing more. 

 

At this point, ancient Greek philosophers might find a shady spot under an aromatic lilac tree, and contemplate the deeper, hidden meaning of the story.  

I, on the other hand, am stunned that if the nymph had those super powers, why didn't she use them on him?  Why didn't Pan get turned into a pebble, or an edible mushroom?  The nymph turned herself into a lilac tree - one of the most alluringly fragrant trees in the world.  I think I get it...

These lilacs grow steps from my home.  I love their light, delicate purple colour.  Purple is associated with passion, vitality and spirituality, while the lighter hues are associated with romance - unless of course, you're Pan and Syringa. 

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.