Azaleas

"Azalea Time"

Yesterday I saw the first blooms on an azalea.

It was a small shrub but covered in bright pink blossoms.

Now I know Spring is really arriving.

photo courtesy of morguefile.com

And driving home yesterday, I noticed the pink flowering cherry trees

were blooming at a house near me.

This is one of my favorite scenes in the Spring:

Soon azaleas will follow there as well.

And we have a few azaleas scattered about our wooded area,

but the shade is very dry and they don't become particularly robust.

If they bloom, it is usually weeks after all the other azaleas have disappeared.

But when they do arrive, they are white or pink.

photo courtesy of morguefile.com

It's always exciting to look out and catch sight of them 

for the first time each spring.

The Azalea Society says that azaleas are "the royalty of the garden."

Mine don't quite achieve that status,

but even one perfect blossom is enough for me to celebrate.

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