Lilac time

It was a good many years ago now that the head of Brighton Parks department decided to plant dozens of lilacs of different varieties in Withdean Park.  This ended up as the second largest collection in the world with over 250 different varieties.  It was designated by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens as the National Reference Collection for the species and cultivars of the genus syringa (lilacs).   Regrettably, the Parks Department has been unable to allocate sufficient funds to maintain the collection to a suitable standard, and the National Collection status was lost in 2009.  However, at this time of the year, when the remaining lilacs are at their peak, the scent is almost overpowering.

I can't get that scent onto the blog, but here is a picture showing some of the varied colours of both the blooms and the leaves, along with a photo-bombing horse chestnut tree!