I like and love them all, and have 'started' collecting them.

I have noticed on the tags, that they differ in many ways.
Size-Height-Width
Color
Fragrant-or Not fragrant
Bloom time
and I think maybe single or double blooms

I think in starting out, what would be of the most importance would be fragrance, and than maybe color, and size.

Suggestion:Be sure and keep the name with it, as there is a good liklihood that you will later want to add more varieties.

My Old Fashioned purple/lavender lilac, and common white no name, were finished blooming a while back, but there are now some other varieties in full bloom, and still others that will bloom a bit later.

This is really the first season that I have had such an extended lilac blooming season. It's only going to get better and better as some that did not bloom (too immature yet), mature and I have even more varieties to enjoy.

Sue...always on the hunt for another new (to me) named lilac

Thanks Sue, I'll just get the best smelling one on the lot then & take it from there.

I didn't mention this, but cost and size usually figures into the equation for me.

I would much rather have 2 small 'different' ones, than one more costly big one.

I also search out the biggest, and healthiest of whatever I decide to buy, and additionally look for any that 'may' already have some suckers....just the thing to trade for other plants...or hopefully more lilacs.

One pot had a sucker growing out of a drain hole on the side at the bottom of the pot.

Sue

We buy lilacs every year for our office manager to enjoy outside her window. Her hands down favorite is "Sensation"

Despite being grown in the crappiest fill dirt imaginable, this is a reliably heavy bloomer for the last five years. It's now about 8' tall and about 6' around at the top. A lot of the flowers got blasted by the freeze we had this spring, bt it still put out some beautiful blooms.

Another one we've really liked is the re-blooming Josee lilac. Fragrant pink blooms on a low growing bush (ours is about 3' tall and wide after 3 years) with a heavy flush in the spring and sporadic flowers all summer long. It wasn't fazed at all by the cold snap.

I wasn't sure about the Beauty of Moscow lilac -- it didn't bloom for three years, and I kept threatening to shovel prune it, but Tammy kept pleading for it's life. Last November it actually put out two flowers -- the first ever! This spring it was loaded with buds, but nearly all were blasted by the spring freeze. It's pretty when it blooms; buds like little pink pearls, opening up to pure white fragrant flowers.

If you've got the room, I think lilacs are like puppies -- there are no ugly ones!

(This reminds me; I need to bring the clippers to work next week and trim off all the spent flowers.)

Thanks for the suggestions and the pictures. Gorgeous! And thanks for the additional advice, Sue. I'm learning to look for "extra" plant possibilites myself!

Miss Kim, the Korean lilac is also a small, mildew resistant and REALLY fragrant. I also am very partial to my cutleaf lilac. Looks great year round.