Sometimes in May, the air is redolent with the unmistakably
exquisite fragrance of lilacs, for as beautiful as the flowers
are, scent is the lilac's most cherished attribute. Of the 20 to
25 species, the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, has the
strongest and sweetest essence, which is richest in the double-
flowered varieties. British gardening icon Gertrude Jekyll
observed that double flowers are usually sterile, petals having
replaced center stamens, and extra petals generate stronger
scent. Blooms last longer and retain their fragrance till
flowers fade, and doubles are the most consistently fragrant.
Some claim white lilacs are not as aromatic as others, but scent
is subjective. Native to the Balkans, these members of the
Oleaceae (olive) family came to Europe from Turkey in 1562 and
were introduced to the New World by Colonial settlers. Lilac
enthusiasts especially revere the heirloom cultivars traceable
to the renowned nursery of the Lemoine family of Nancy, France,
who, over three generations (from the m