Love, Joy and Peas: azalea

Showing posts with label azalea. Show all posts

Friday, May 6, 2016

Glistening Raindrops on Pretty Azalea Flowers

Happy floral Friday! This week's post features beautiful azaleas from the National Arboretum's azalea collection. Their wooded azalea walk features the widest range of azalea varieties and colors that I've ever seen. At peak it is truly stunning but it's lovely even when the azaleas aren't blooming.

I took these photos between rain showers and the raindrops were still full and fresh.

Some of the flowers were so soaked they became almost translucent.

These bicolor azaleas are a favorite of mine, although I love them all.

These red azaleas looked especially nice with the mystery purple flowers in the background. If you know what the purple flowers are, please let me know.

Thank you for visiting! If you enjoyed this post, I'd appreciate a Google +1 and if you like the blog in general, a separate +1 for the main blog would be fabulous too. May God bless you!

Related posts:
Azalea walk landscapes: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/05/azalea-walk-landscape-photos.html
Azalea walk photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/04/amazing-azaleas-wooded-walk-photos.html
Azalea flower close ups: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/04/beautiful-azalea-close-up-photos.html

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Splashing Robin, Blazing Azaleas

Happy Wild Wednesday! This wild robin had a great time splashing around in our bird bath.

I thought she looked especially pretty with the fiery red azaleas in the background.

She definitely noticed me taking photos.

But just kept an eye on me as she went about her wildlife business.

Then she gave me one more glance before flying away.

Whenever I have something new and fun I aim to post a Wild Wednesday feature for you. But when a post isn't possible I do still usually share something on my blog's Facebook page so be sure to check there if you miss seeing something here.

Thank you so much for visiting! If you liked this post, I'd appreciate a Google +1 and if you like the blog in general, a separate +1 for the main blog would be fabulous too. May God bless you!

Love Joy and Peace on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovejoypeas/timeline

Related posts:
Catbird and robin: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2015/06/catbird-and-robin.html
Wet & wild birds: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/wet-wild-birds.html
Azaleas galore: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/05/azalea-walk-landscape-photos.html

Friday, April 29, 2016

Rain Drenched Flowers and a Squirrely Surprise

Happy floral Friday and welcome to "this week in my Maryland garden!" We've had a lot of rain but that's good for the flowers. The bright reddish orange and yellow bicolor dahlia pictured above is a new addition to our garden and I love it.

We planted the hot pink bicolor dahlia outside and I hope it survives the current cold snap.

The window box dianthus is thriving and I thought it looked neat with the raindrops on its petals.

Another new addition to my garden is this white rose-like impatiens. The red in the background is my mini Japanese maple seedling garden. For now, they're sharing the window box. I'm hoping enough survive to make some bonsais for inside and grow a few in pots for outside. The one I started in 2012 made it through a few winters but is no longer with us so this time I wanted extra plants, just in case.

On a rare sunny day this squirrel kept running in front of our hellebore and azalea bushes and I finally got a photo. She's a fast one. I think she likes making my cat's head go back and forth (my cat watches from the window).

That's all for this week's mini garden tour. I hope my flower photos make you smile.

Which was your favorite? What is spring like in your area?

Thank you for visiting! May God bless you!

Related posts:
Black squirrel close ups: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2016/04/black-squirrel-close-up-photos.html
Dahlias and more: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2016/04/dahlia-hyacinth-tulip-lilac-and.html
Dianthus and more: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2016/04/first-and-last-azalea-strawberry-pansy.html

Friday, April 22, 2016

First and Last Azalea, Strawberry, Pansy, Dianthus and Tulip Flowers

Happy Earth Day, floral Friday and welcome to "this week in my Maryland garden!" Our pink azaleas started blooming this week and they brighten up a very shady part of the yard.

This is probably our last Angelique tulip of the year so I might cut it and bring it indoors to savor.

Our window box dianthus survived another winter and put out its first flower this week.

I found this volunteer (spontaneously growing) blue and white pansy in a sunny garden bed.

The yellow and red tulips may be the last of the season but they are gorgeous.

The strawberries that survived the winter started blooming this week too. I received three new ones as a gift with purchase and planted those today as part of my Earth Day observance.

How did you celebrate Earth Day? Thank you for visiting! May God bless you and our planet!

Related posts:
Pansies and tulips: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2015/05/pansies-primroses-lilacs-and-angelique.html
Angelique tulips: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2016/04/angelique-tulips-pansies-yellow-and-red.html
Baby finch and tulip: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2015/04/primrose-blind-baby-finch-angelique.html

Friday, May 8, 2015

Lilacs, Azaleas, Dianthus and Dahlias for Floral Friday

Happy floral Friday and welcome to this week in my Maryland garden! Last week's post featured our old fashioned lilac and this week I decided to lead with our reblooming lilacs. They are absolutely covered in flowers right now. The last photo in this post has another photo of them from a little further away. If we are blessed, we'll have blooms trickling in through early fall.

We have five azalea bushes and they're at peak this week.

This dianthus survived an early spring transplant from our window box to the ground. We might have gotten earlier flowers had we left it where it was but I wanted to try a new window box arrangement this year and it seems happier in the ground.

The pansies are still looking nice but I got a great deal on some miniature dahlias so I planted a row of them in between the pansies. The tulips have passed but I'll leave their foliage up for a while to gather nutrients for next year's blooms.

This is definitely peak week for the lilacs. What is your favorite spring flower?

Hope you enjoyed my garden photos. May God bless and keep you!

Related posts:
Raindrops on roses and more: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/05/raindrop-drenched-rose-cosmos.html
Dahlias and dianthus: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/08/four-dahlias-and-dianthus-for-floral.html
Mandevilla, dianthus & more: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/05/mandevilla-roses-dianthus-and-petunias.html

Friday, May 16, 2014

Dahlias, Ranunculus, Azaleas, Lilacs and Bleeding Hearts: This Week in My Maryland Garden

Happy Friday, dear friends! Back by popular request is my weekly "This Week in My Maryland Garden" feature. I hope you enjoy these photos fresh from our spring yard.

The dahlia and ranunculus plants should keep producing flowers throughout the summer and possibly into fall.

The azalea flowers are a fleeting beauty. Although I've seen some at the National Arboretum bloom in the fall, ours only bloom for a few weeks in the spring. But they are beautiful when in bloom.

The lilacs are in full bloom this week and smell wonderful. Two of our lilac bushes are rebloomers so as long as we remove the old flowers we should get additional flowers throughout the summer.

The pretty hot pink and white bleeding hearts, like the azaleas, are beautiful but only bloom in spring. Unlike the azalea foliage, which stays green for most of the year, these old fashioned bleeding hearts have foliage that turns yellow and then dies back.

Those are the highlights in our Maryland garden this week! Be sure to come back next Friday for more garden photos. May God bless and keep you!

What's blooming in your garden now? What are your favorite flowers to grow and/or see?

Related posts:
Happy spring garden photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/03/happy-spring-floral-photos-this-week-in.html
Rainy day flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/05/rainy-day-flowers-this-week-in-my.html
Azaleas, ghost ferns, tulips and more: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/04/azaleas-lilacs-ghost-ferns-tulips-and.html
Raindrops on roses, camellias and more: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/10/raindrops-on-roses-azalea-camellia.html

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Azalea Walk Landscape Photos

I love the National Arboretum and their azalea walk is just gorgeous.

In addition to the many colored azalea bushes, there are blooming dogwoods and other beautiful sights throughout the wooded azalea walk.

These brick walls enclose the formal part of the azalea garden and have some Japanese maples and a lot of boxwood mixed in with the azaleas.

I thought the fallen tree added interest to the photo above.

I just loved the yellow azaleas and the mix of colors in this section of the National Arboretum's azalea collection. I hope you enjoyed my mini tour of the azalea walk. May God bless you!

Related posts:
Pink and white azaleas: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/05/pink-and-white-azalea-photos.html
Bonsai azaleas of old Japan: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/06/azaleas-of-old-japan-satsuki-bonsai.html
2013 Azalea walk photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/04/amazing-azaleas-wooded-walk-photos.html
2012 Azalea walk photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/04/azalea-walk-photos.html
Orange, yellow, pink and bicolor azaleas: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/04/beautiful-azalea-close-up-photos.html

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Pink and White Azalea Photos

Happy May, dear friends! I enjoyed the National Arboretum's azalea collection this weekend and hope you'll enjoy my white and pink azalea photos.

Some plants have more than one color bloom and I thought the hot pink in the middle of the variegated white and pink blooms was striking.

These white azaleas had a neat green center spots.

Bicolor azaleas in white and pink.

Bicolor azeleas in white and reddish pink. If you enjoyed these flower photos please come back soon for some overview and landscape photos from my azalea walk (with more colors featured).

May the God of all creation bless and keep you!

Related posts:
Amazing azaleas: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/04/amazing-azaleas-wooded-walk-photos.html
Mixed color azalea close up photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/04/beautiful-azalea-close-up-photos.html
Azaleas of old Japan (bonsai): http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/06/azaleas-of-old-japan-satsuki-bonsai.html
Azalea walk photos 2012: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/04/azalea-walk-photos.html

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Azaleas of Old Japan: Satsuki Bonsai Exhibit at the National Bonsai & Penjing Musem

Today my husband and I enjoyed viewing the 2013 Satsuki Bonsai Exhibit featuring azaleas of old Japan. The exhibit ends tomorrow (June 2) so if you love bonsai or azaleas it might be worth a trip the the National Arboretum tomorrow (the National Arboretum houses the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, which is near the recently remodeled visitor's center).

I enjoyed the variety of azalea bonsai specimens on display as well as the unique stands and bonsai dishes that enhanced the presentation.

It's amazing how long some of these beautiful azalea bonsai plants have been in training.

Here's an overview of a little more than half of the display.

And last but certainly not least is a photo my dear husband allowed me to share with you. I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of the bonsai exhibit. Which was your favorite photo? Have you ever seen azalea bonsai in person?

May God bless and keep you, dear friend!

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Beautiful Azalea Close Up Photos

Yesterday I promised you azalea macro photos so here they are. I love azalea time almost as much as cherry blossom time. There are such a variety of beautiful azalea flowers to enjoy that I try to make multiple trips to catch the early, mid and late season bloomers.

There are so many azalea bushes they overlap a bit in places but that just adds to their beauty.

I thought these peachy red and white azalea blossoms were particularly lovely.

These yellow azaleas look more orange in person and they have a delightful honey like scent.

These red and orange azaleas are unusual and brighten up the shady forest. I love how the variety of flowers demonstrates God's amazing creativity and always lifts my spirits. May the God of all comfort bless you today and always!

Related posts:
Azaleas, Lilacs, Tulips and more: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/04/azaleas-lilacs-ghost-ferns-tulips-and.html
More Azalea Walk Photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/04/amazing-azaleas-wooded-walk-photos.html
Raindrops on Azaleas and Roses: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/10/raindrops-on-roses-azalea-camellia.html

Recommended related website:
National Arboretum http://usna.usda.gov/