Every year, thousands of lilacs bloom in Lilacia Park. Their fragrance fills the park and surrounding areas, reminding residents and visitors of the annual Lilac Time festival.

Lilacs tend to bloom anywhere from late April to mid-May, depending on weather conditions. But when scheduling their visit to the park, many Lilac Time visitors want to know when the white and purple blossoms are at full bloom and most beautiful.

Finding out is now easy, thanks to the Lombard Park District Bloom-o-Meter.

The Bloom-o-Meter is a device that measures the blooms in Lilacia Park, starting with beginning to bud, increasing to full bloom, and fading back to green. This horticultural apparatus was created by top Lombard Park District engineers and consists of wires that connect to the lilac plant, as well as a sensitive ground probe that measures soil properties indicative of bloom development and a rain gauge to collect precipitation. The data is then transmitted to the park district offices where it is analyzed and entered into the Lombard Park District’s web site.

For more information, call the Lombard Park District at (630) 620-7322 or visit www.lombardparks.com.

Posting submitted by Lesli Groth, Community Service Manager of the Lombard Park District.