There are some colors that are lucky enough to get their names from beautifully scented flowers - Rose, Violet, Lavender and of course Lilac.
Violet as a scent is not so instantly recognised as the others mentioned, but it's very important in the fragrance industry. It is an extremely sweet and 'powdery' scent which can only be smelled for short spells at a time due to it's chemical make-up. The colour voilet, however, is instantly reconizable and is considered a pure colour having a wavelenght of its own.
The colour Lilac is a pale pinkish-purple, said to represent the average colour of most lilac flowers. It might also be described as dark mauve or light blue with a slightly pink hue. The common lilac flowers has given it's name to the colour but there are other new breeds which produce white, deep pink, and even yellow blossoms, however there is no mistaking the unique, clean fresh scent.
Last week, I finally found a 'standard' lilac for my patio. It's still in a pot waiting for the Summer sunshine to bring out the blossoms but I have a lovely reminder of sunny gardens everytime I take out the cushions used in the Chez Maison Bespoke Bedset. I've made them up in a Lilac print from Titley and Marr who clearly understand how to traslate that inspiration into a devine print.