The classic lilac from your grandmother’s home might be Syringa vulgaris, heavenly scented, and beautiful. This commonly planted crayon of God’s was brought to the United States from Europe and can last for centuries. The oldest lilacs in America may have been planted in 1750.
Although it can be seen growing in abandoned areas, as an ornamental plant, it can naturally grow with little abandon. Over time the weight of the branches can cause the plant to arch, until sometimes it feels unruly to some, and people have a wont of shaping them sometimes. Given proper space, its natural habit is awe-inspiring, but in a small or medium garden space, sometimes pruning indeed seems like a tempting option for altering the habit of the plant to express its spritely side.
A lilac is sensitive to pruning, maybe, and it would feel so lacking to miss a year of flowers due to lack of timing, which can happen if pruned too late. How early can it be pruned? It grows so quickly after flowering, or in flower really, that it might seem tempting to prune all flowers generously, while in bloom, and shape it, enjoying the flowers indoors. For a flower and scent that is so welcome, He might want us to welcome them into our homes. Not lasting well cut and put in water, however, we can look to God’s appreciation for the temporal perhaps in His infinite timeline. Or, does He not want us to prune them at all?
Sources:
The New York Botanical Garden Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horticulture, 1981
https://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/plants/featured-plants/lilacs/how-to-plant-and-care-for-lilacs/