lwilliams, I think you have been misled about lilacs not growing in your area. I just looked it up and according to the hardiness map, you are in zone 7b - normally a great place to grow lilacs. If you are shopping at locally owned nurseries and they are stocking lilacs, I would say you were good to go. If you are looking at Big Box stores, look at tags and make sure they will grow in your area. Big Box stores tend to stock everything in every store. Right now, our local Home Depot has a ton of beautiful Calla Lilies. They are an annual here - they can't handle having their rhizomes frozen solid for 6 months.
If you are planning to plant some lilacs, now is a good time to do it.
Please update your profile with your location and hardiness zone. It will make helping you a lot easier.
Daisy
