Lilacs are pretty tough shrubs. They don't die easily. You may want to add a little lime if your soil is very acidic, but otherwise, just leave them alone and let them grow.

BTW, many gardeners have found 'Bloomerang' underwhelming as far as lilacs go.

i think it is the lack of winter chill that makes them unsuited for our zone. my grandmother had one in n. alabama but that is zone 7, close to tennessee.

i have tried several in my location (zone 8, east central al.) and they never bloomed and were removed. perhaps you will have better luck with the 'bloomerang', which i have not tried.

I am in NJ Zone 7a. No problems with either Lilacs or Crape Myrtles (as trees..., not shrubs). Actually, I have my lilacs in sun, but shaded somewhat by Crapes and Southern Magnolias, and they bloom. I have friends in more northern zones, and their lilacs do nothing. Go figure. Maybe soil pH.

Bloomerang does not require high pH to flower or to be presentable. As Lacey mentioned, almost everyone who has purchased Bloomerang has been disappointed with them. The main reason being that the secondary bloom tends to be small and sparse, and if it is hot enough many of the second flush of flowers simply dry up. Upon its initial release many wholesalers noted that Bloomerang was susceptible to pseudomonas bacterial blight and stopped growing it.

We've had many in the ground for 3 years and while they are great (and extremely fragrant) in their first flush of blooms and have decent habit/fall color can be nice the main reason they were released was for the second bloom period. Once again a big marketing campaign for plants that offer little in terms of improvement over existing varieties. There have been a couple new releases from the Bloomerang program and we've planted these- it will take a few years to see if they are any better.

I wouldn't worry about pH for lilacs. Mine do just fine in soil that is quite acidic.

Better or worse would be your personal opinion. Bloomerang does seem to have less vigor than other smaller lilacs like Syringa meyeri or Syringa 'Miss Kim', but my guess is that the size estimate of 4' will only be possible with an annual shearing. If we can get 2' wholesale plants for a fairly low price that tells you that the production cycle is not very long.

I have seen another newer Proven Winners selection that I am more interested in called Scent and Sensibility. If you look it up online it has more of a wide-spreading habit combined with a slightly lower height which gives it a different look and (possibly) more of an actual dwarf form. There is nothing wrong with your Bloomerang choice, just be prepared that they may not live up to your expectations if you're relying on a heavy second flush of blooms. For their adaptability/durability, clean foliage, fragrant blooms, and decent fall color, overall they are attractive shrubs with good appeal. Try to plant something with colorful foliage or with varying texture in front of them to make the overall landscape nice even when they are not in bloom.

I'm in Iowa and you're in Alabama so honestly I don't know what your best choice would be. If I were designing it I would probably go for something that has contrasting foliage colors- like a purple leaved plant that has flowers or a small variegated ornamental grass like Molinia 'Variegeta'. There are probably dozens of options for you that I am unaware of- hopefully someone else can provide some ideas.