Jun 04 2009
Rhododendrons - So Pretty (but shamefully only one month a year)
We have two large rhododendrons gracing each side of the steps leading up to our front porch. They have been green and bulky and not that attractive since we moved into this home. These rhododendrons looked like shrubs. In fact, my fiance was thinking of digging them up at one point to replace them with pretty perennials, but something stopped him. He had his hands full that weekend; what with all the landscaping he had scheduled for himself, digging up two ugly shrubs must have slipped his mind.
Then, last week, near the end of May, we were suddenly blessed with beautiful blooming large purple flowers. I am amazed and surprised (as well as relieved).
If you have never experienced these flowering plants when they’re in bloom, you’re missing out on a spectacular display. The rhododendron appears to be only a green, boring shrub for most of the year (hence my fiance’s initial desire to tear them out) but, upon blooming, you will enjoy these awesome large flowers that come in shades of purple, white or pink - depending on the quality you have. Being patient and waiting for their bloom time is key to enjoying this evergreen shrub.
Unfortunately, my research into the rhododendron says that its bloom time is short: only from May to June. Wow. What a shame. I wish this was a longer period of time because once the flowers open and grace you with their presence, you just don’t want them to go away. I share their beauty every morning while sipping coffee.
I know the flowers will be gone soon. We are in the month of June, as I write this. For now, I love the sight of these rhododendrons. I am also very thankful they weren’t hauled away with the trash two weeks ago. In a month or so, when they go back to their green, ugly selves, I might begin to feel otherwise. What the eye can’t see, the mind forgets. So, to remind me, I’m taking lots of pictures!
