Thursday, June 9, 2011

Simple Pleasure: Rhododendrons

Joining Dayle's Simple Pleasures party from A Collection of This and That.

 Participants tell about something small or insignificant that add to the joy of their lives.

 This is the last party for awhile since Dayle is going to take a summer break.  Be sure to check out all the entrants by going to Dayle's blog.



Today, this blog's simple pleasure, is seeing the rhododendron bush in full, glorious bloom.

Just a few short days ago,  it looked like this:






Almost overnight, the many buds burst into full-fledged blossoms as big as a woman's hand. They are so incredibly gorgeous that they can almost take one's breath away.  Now the bush looks like this:




Rhododendrons are flowers whose name was derived from Greek words, namely "rhodon" which means rose and "dendron," or "tree," according to Wikipedia.



These stunning flowers come in purple, such as shown in the photos, as well as light purple, white, deep burgundy, and even light pink.

The rhododendron is the national flower of  Nepal.

Best yet, because they are perennials, they bloom each and every year!

DO YOU HAVE RHODODENDRONS WHERE YOU LIVE?
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15 comments:

  1. GratefulPrayerThankfulHeartJune 8, 2011 at 7:16 PM

    Oh, yes! Rhododendrons and azaleas grow very well where we live. They like acidic soil which is just what we have. Your bush is gorgeous!

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  2. BookieJune 8, 2011 at 7:42 PM

    Very pretty pictures and the subject is interesting...have not seen these here much I don't think.

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  3. Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble ChristmasJune 9, 2011 at 5:59 AM

    Yes , we do! I have a rather large one in the front of the house. It is done blooming now.... I posted about it a few posts ago...

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  4. Rose Petal HollowJune 9, 2011 at 9:23 AM

    Beautiful, yes we have Rodies =) Ours are past blooming now. One flower is almost like a bouquet!
    MaryAnn

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  5. DebbieJune 9, 2011 at 10:28 AM

    Gorgeous!!! We don't have them here, but we do have their southern cousins, the native azalea. Of course, they are long gone by now.

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  6. Tammy@T's Daily TreasuresJune 9, 2011 at 11:26 AM

    What a fabulous transformation. How long do the blooms last? We had tons of azalea bushes in our backyard in Louisiana. Bougainvilleas are the only bushes blooming here right now and I'm so happy when I see them as there aren't many colorful things in this desert country. Hope you are having a good day. Tammy

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  7. diane stetsonJune 9, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    Your favorite color Susan....I bet you just love those blooms...too hot of a climate here to grow them..nice pictures!

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  8. PamelaJune 9, 2011 at 5:26 PM

    Oh, bringing back my childhood. We had Rhododendron lining the woods between our home. Hundreds and hundreds of flowers each year.

    Beautiful pictures.
    Pamela

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  9. KathyJune 9, 2011 at 5:38 PM

    That's one flowering shrub I don't have - but I do love going to the NC mountains and seeing them growing in the woods - they're gorgeous!
    Kathy

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  10. Karen LangeJune 9, 2011 at 6:41 PM

    Very pretty! I didn't know it was the flower of Nepal. You learn something new everyday! :)
    Have a great weekend,
    Karen

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  11. TrishJune 9, 2011 at 9:25 PM

    Yes I do, Susan.
    And looking at your beauties makes me long for Springtime and my pink Rhodos!!
    I have to wait 4-5 months more before my bush bursts into blossom.
    Yours are stunning - what a gorgeous colour!
    blessings..Trish

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  12. MaveJune 9, 2011 at 9:48 PM

    Yes we do here in the Adelaide Hills. They have open gardens in Spring for people to see them. Yours is a beautiful colour. Mave

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  13. Chatty CroneJune 10, 2011 at 12:17 PM

    We do have RHODODENDRONS where I live - but we don't have any in our yard.

    They seem so simple and are a simple pleasure - but when you look at them - they would be impossible to create.

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  14. Dayle ~ A Collection of DaysJune 10, 2011 at 10:25 PM

    Wow! What a transformation!!

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  15. AnonymousJune 11, 2011 at 4:24 AM

    Aren't they beautiful?

    They are just the neatest bush.

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