A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Lilac questions

I have a 6 foot chain link fence with the so-called privacy vinyl slats. It's not private at all and there is a store parking lot on the other side, so I just bought some lilacs today for a good deal (came home with 6 lilacs and a flowering plum tree and spent $60)

I am going to plant the lilacs along the fence line... my question, is how far apart should I plant them.

And the impatient person in me wants to know, how much do they usually grow in a year?

Here's the kind I got

2 Primrose yellow
2 Lemon White
1 Common purple
1 Persian Violet

my neighbors' lilac is about 20 years old and it has spread out about 4 1/2 feet in diameter.

it might have been a bit wider except for the fact that some of the runners are growing in the neighbors yard and he keeps cutting them down when he mows his lawn.

i took a few of them for my yard...from the mown over 1/2 they've grown to about 6 inches (in a months time). our weather has been a bit chilly - i expect it to grow more quickly once the truly warm weather (during the day and at night) sets in.

generally, i think they only grow about 2 feet at the most a year...i could be wrong on that tho.