Lilacs: A Gardener’s Encyclopedia

Author Biography

Reverend John L. Fiala (1924-1990) was a parish priest, high school principal, college professor of psychology and education, and, in his spare time, leading plant breeder. At Falconskeape, his 120-acre garden in northwestern Ohio, he pursued two great loves, lilacs and crabapples. He wrote reference works on both plant groups and established separate international societies to unite likeminded enthusiasts. Ever searching to improve lilacs, Fiala introduced 78 new cultivars in the 1980s. Many of these are still highly sought after, while others are little known. Among his best-known lilac legacies are 'Lark Song', 'Wedgwood Blue', and 'Yankee Doodle'. In 1980 Fiala was awarded the Thomas Roland Medal by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for his hybridizing achievements. Freek Vrugtman (pronounced frake fruchtman) is the International Lilac Registrar, a position he has held since 1976. He was curator of collections at two prestigious Canadian institutions: Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario, and the botanical gardens of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Vrugtman has served on numerous international boards and commissions, including the editorial committees for the 6th and 7th editions of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. He writes regularly for the International Lilac Society's journal. Among the awards he has received are the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta Award of Merit in 1993, International Lilac Society Honors and Achievement Award in 2000, and the International Society for Horticultural Science Medal in 2002. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in horticulture from the University of British Columbia and Cornell University respectively.