Lilac Time

1. Bouquet of Lilacs, Raoul-Victor-Maurice Maucherat de Longpre, 1861-1897
2. Floral Study (Lilacs), Antoine Berjon, 1754–1843
3. Syringa vulgaris L., Redouté, P.J., Choix des plus belles fleurs et des plus beaux fruits, 1833
4. Bouquet of Lilacs, Alexandre Rene Defaux,1826-1900
5. Lilacs, Henri Fantin-Latour, 1872
6. Lilac, Edward Step, Favorite Flowers of Garden and Greenhouse, 1896-97
7. White Lilac, Isaac Levitan, 1895

It's not really time for lilacs yet, but I associate months with colors and in my mind February is purple. Purples, grays and whites all seem to go with this time of year. I was crazy about wearing the color purple in my early teens. It was my signature color, but I got bored with it and wore mostly red for the next few years. After that it was blue. This past year I've fallen in love with purple again - especially lavender and eggplant shades.

Lilacs are such a romantic flower. They're a little sweet and a little somber, and I love seeing different artist's depictions of them - from botanical illustrations to renditions in pastels. Just hearing the word "lilac" makes me think of the song Jeannine, I Dream of Lilac Time. It was topping the charts in 1928, and the only reason I know it is from the 1928 film, Lilac Time, starring Colleen Moore and Gary Cooper. It's a sentimental wartime romance set in France. I haven't seen the entire film - only several long clips online - but the images and accompanying soundtrack made enough of an impression on me to always associate them with the flower.

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