This beauty queen's talents involve a romantic and dramatic color change and more blooms than most gardeners can imagine. There are few sights as lovely as lilac in full bloom, and the Miss Canada Lilac (Syringa x prestoniae 'Miss Canada') manages to improve on this spectacle. This shrub has a flair for the dramatic but is anything but high maintenance.

The Miss Canada Lilac's claim to fame is its violet flower buds that open to reveal ballerina-pink blooms. In late spring, two weeks later than French Hybrid lilacs, this remarkable shrub dons dense clusters of flowers on the end of its branches. When trimmed to be more upright this lilac looks like a feminine crape myrtle with exaggerated pompoms.

This bright bush is a great way to make the lilac blooming season last a little bit longer and fill your garden with an enchanting scent.

This deer resistant, flamboyant plant is perfect for a highly floriferous anchor plant on the corner of your driveway, garage, or foundation beds. A Miss Canada Lilac would also add height and make for a wonderful centerpiece of a butterfly garden--Don't be surprised when they have to share space with the hummingbirds, though. You can add a bird feeder for even more wildlife activity.

Many landscape artists also love to use this dreamy-pink wonder as a screen, informal hedge, back of border planting, or as the entrance to a garden room. Just provide it with full sun for the most blooms. Prune your Miss Canada Lilac immediately after the blooms finish. This flowering queen loves nitrogen fertilizers, but be sure to avoid the roots.