Garden Q&A: My purple-leaved cherry and lilac shrubs don't flower

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Purple-leaved cherry, left; lilac in bloom, right. File pictures

Question

Why is my mature purple-leaved cherry non-flowering? It really never produced anything significant. Also, I have many lilac shrubs, which also never flower. Both are many years old.