Springtime in Lilacland

Most days of the year, you’re not likely to encounter a traffic jam in the small hamlet of Pelham, Massachusetts, next door to Amherst. But drive down Harkness Road the week of Mother’s Day and you may find it difficult to pass or park. To understand the attraction, just roll down your windows—and take in the marvelous, intense springtime fragrance of lilacs. Acres of them.

You’ve found Lilacland—home of Jim Lumley ’78 and his wife Margaret, and years before that, Jim’s parents. The Lumleys care for over six acres of lilacs and open their land to aroma-bewitched visitors every spring. An unassuming, hand-painted sign marks the spot where folks can stroll among 170 lilac varieties in colors from palest white to magenta to a deep royal purple.

During the second and third weeks of May, when most of the lilacs are in full bloom, more than 2,000 people come to view and sniff the different species.

Why lilacs? When Jim’s parents, Al and Mabel, first settled in Pelham, they tried planting fruit trees and shrubs, and when those didn’t thrive, they enlisted the help of agricultural specialists from UMass Amherst to analyze the soil. The experts found the soil was slightly alkaline, which they noted was ideal for planting lilacs. It so happened that Mabel was already fond of lilacs, and the plantings quickly became a passion. The family learned about different varieties, ordering some from Russia and various European countries. They also brought back specimens from trips to Greece, Italy, and the former Yugoslavia, where they visited botanical gardens to learn about new varieties.

The plantings weren’t for any commercial purpose, Jim says. “I think it was something primarily for their own pleasure.” By planting several varieties, they could have blooms from April through June. After a few years, he recalls, “they were starting to blossom, and people—usually my dad’s friends—would come to see them as they bloomed.”

Lilacs and visitors became a tradition, and both grew exponentially. Years after his studies in physical education and liberal arts at UMass, Jim and Margaret came to live on the property themselves. “We planted a lot more, using shoots from the original plantings or ordering them from specialized nurseries,” Jim says. Many of the plants carry the name of their variety on a metal tag, another boon to visitors who might find one they’d like to source for their own gardens.

It takes a lot of work to clear out invasive species like bittersweet and sumac, mow the grass around the lilacs, and maintain so many plants. “We spend late winter and early spring cutting all that and getting rid of the brush,” Jim says, “so that when people come to see them, they’re going to just see the lilac.” All of that maintenance is quite literally a labor of love, he confesses. “I like to think we’re working in the spirit of my mom and dad.”

Lilacland is located at 24 Harkness Road in Pelham, Massachusetts. Visiting the second or third week of May is ideal for maximum blooms.

Raw Materials

Wander through our behind-the-scenes trip.