Of the many azaleas in our garden, this one is my favorite. Original to our 1940’s home, she is an old-fashioned beauty. She has withstood decades of severe weather, home renovations, and pesky critters. Yet faithfully she gives us her all each spring. Graceful and showy, she brings a smile to my face every April.
Azaleas are one of the things I love most about the south. With blooms so vivid and bright, our neighborhood streets are turned into Technicolor avenues practically overnight. Savannah Georgia, gorgeous any time of year, is simply stunning draped in their blossoms. “The Masters” just wouldn’t be “The Masters” without the kaleidoscope backdrop that almost steals the show from the golfers. Even my humble backyard becomes an Eden when they arrive.
But our corner of the woods isn’t the only place to cherish the azalea. From Virginia to the Midwest and on to California, the “Azalea Festival” is alive and well. Coast to coast, communities gather in her honor. One of the grandest events occurs in Wilmington, NC. This port city hosts a week long extravaganza complete with queens and coronations, parades and pageantry, concerts and celebrities. Along with lush garden parties and southern belles in antebellum dresses as colorful as the azaleas themselves, Wilmington pulls out all the stops to celebrate the springtime stunner.
….and I think she’s worth it.
