Garden Scents and Memories

The time for lilacs has already past, but there is something about the scent of certain plants that brings back memories and for me it is lilacs.

To many people lilacs are just a pretty smelling spring flowering tree/ bush. But to me lilacs are so much more.

When I was little the house we lived in had a lilac tree in the way back of the yard, it was my tree, well I did share it with my sisters but it was really mine. I spent many hours climbing that tree, finding the perfect branch to sit in and read a book. When we had to move I wanted a new house with a porch to play on and a lilac tree to climb. Well the new house had the porch but not the tree, and while there are lilacs in my mom yard today they still are not big enough to climb. And I am much bigger then I used to be.

Then there was Grandma Fees house, she had a white lilac tree in her backyard along the fence, hers smelled a little different and was more of a bush then a tree. But there was always a lilac to take home.
And I think there was one in my Grandma W back yard but that I am not sure about.

The lilacs I have in my yard today came from the ones that are growing in my mom's yard today. In the spring I can often be found outside taking a deep breath and then dreaming about my special lilac trees over the years. Lilacs to me are the  scent that holds the promise of summer to come, once I start smelling that wonderful scent I know for sure that winter is over and spring has arrived.              

I dream about the day that my trees are big enough to climb in but for now I will settle for the scent and beautiful color.
                                                                                          

What garden scent unlocks memories for you ?

This post is linked at an oregon cottage