I think that lily-of-the-valley, Convallaria majalis, would look lovely in the shade of your lilac, and it's easy to grow. The plant is considered poisonous, however, so if your doggie likes to nibble on random things in the garden, I would find something else. :) My animals don't nibble on anything but the grass, so I'm lucky not to have that problem.

Have fun with your new thumb, telamin! :)

Brenda

Here is a link that might be useful: lily-of-the-valley

Perhaps a large mulched bed with another variety of Lilac nearby; one that blooms at a slightly different time to extend the show. Lilacs are lime-lovers, so lime well, and dont ad acid-lovers to the bed. You'll still need to get close to the flowers for sniffing and pruning purposes, so add a few step stones and maybe some Lavender (which is another lime-lover), Forget-me-nots and Thymes. Mulch the areas in between, and you can ad more later... such as Daffodils and other Spring bulbs. I have done this along my privacy fence. Robin in NC