Azalea Gardens

I'm sure they have azaleas in other parts of the country,

but I was never aware of them until I moved to Virginia.

Since azaleas love acid soil and the shelter of pine trees,

they are happy growers here. 

Norfolk Botanical Gardens from thelittleredhen.typepad.com

Azaleas are prolific bloomers and ubiquitous--you see them everywhere.

They are so popular here that Norfolk 

used to have an Azalea Festival every April.

Along with a lot of people,
I was really happy to see the first azalea blooms popping out this week.

Another good thing about spring in the Shire!

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