Wild Azaleas Bow Out

Wild Azaleas Bow Out
Originally uploaded by Simply Wired Custom Jewelry

Oh, flowers. I love them and I can't get enough. This year's spring planting did not happen yet (next weekend!), but our wild azaleas (sometimes referred to as pinxter-flowers and officially named Rhododendron periclymenoides) showed up right on time. Their exit will mark my responsibility to add more color and beauty to the yard, and I will do so with a smile on my face and dirt beneath my fingernails.

This particular photo was taken today, about an hour or so ago, and you can see their posture beginning to fail them, their edges slightly withered and brown. Today's rain knocked many of them off of the bush, leaving a scattering of petals along the dirt and the grass. Until next year, my pretties!