The azaleas are just starting to bloom in my area of Appalachia—both the wild ones and the tame ones.
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite. The orange ones that grow along the ridge are especially pretty since I can see them from the kitchen window.
We have a reddish pink one that is right by the steps to the porch. I can’t remember where it came from but I’ve had it for ages.
On our recent trip to Satterfields Pat gifted the girls each an azalea in honor of the boys. Chitter chose a red one so we’ll have to find a place for it.
Although picking a favorite is hard I do have one.
Uncle Henry is Pap’s youngest brother. He had a great love of making a garden and growing flowers. Actually he still has the great love, but after suffering a severe stroke several years back he is relegated to sitting in his motorized wheel chair.
One year Uncle Henry came across some azaleas. He worked for the Forest Service so it might have been related to his job or a place he was visiting for work.
He came up to the house one evening and asked if I’d like one of them I said “I sure would!”
That was in the days when I was plumb foolish about growing flowers leaving Pap and Granny to manage the vegetable growing with our help.
I planted the azalea in the backyard out near the woods thinking it would like the area. It thrived!
A few years later we built our chicken coop in that part of the yard totally blocking off the azalea from sight.
At first I was really disappointed and thought about moving the azalea, but never got around to relocating it.
After a few years I decided I liked it being tucked out of sight behind the coop. This time of the year it’s almost as if we have a secret azalea. I love going to gather eggs and seeing the beautiful pink blooms.
The Deer Hunter knows how much I love them and he always cuts a few for me to sit on my desk.
Last night’s video: Potato Soup & Pap’s Sweet Bread.
Tipper
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I love azaleas and I love that you have a secret one! I think the girls being given ones in honor of the boys was such a sweet and thoughtful gesture from Satterfields. I remember one year for daddy’s birthday we gave him one to plant. I think that’s where I get my love of them from. I have several here at home, and they are the Encore variety that bloom about three times a year. Any azalea to me is beautiful and I like to cut a few and enjoy them inside also.
Two members mentioned azaleas in Wilmington, NC and at a hospital in Oklahoma. It was not azaleas but I think one of the prettiest sites I can remember seeing was the cherry trees in bloom at the hospital at Fort Oglethorpe, GA. This was in the spring time in the early 1990’s. I had went to visit with my aunt that lived in Chattanooga at the hospital. I remember it being an older hospital, maybe part of the old military base. She was dying with cancer.
Randy,
My youngest daughter was born at that hospital in 1989. It was where my midwife practiced. You’re right- the whole area there was an army base in the past. It was the end of November when I was there, so no cherry blossoms.
Are the orange ones along the ridge what we used to call wild honeysuckle? Are they a native azalea? Do they like to live in hard to get to places? Like they try to hide from people and are successful once their bright fire-colored blossoms finally fade?
Ed-yes to all those questions 🙂
The Azaleas are beautiful. Matt is so thoughtful to cut some for you so you can enjoy them inside. He’s just the sweetest, so don’t ever let him go. He’s a keeper, but you already know that. 😉
I planted several hot pink azaleas on my family cemetery thirty years ago. They never stay bloomed long enough for the decoration day visitors to enjoy their beauty. All that’s left on Memorial Day is some dried blossoms that prove what a spectacular show they put on for the angels who rest high on the mountain. That is so sweet of the Deer Hunter to bring you cuttings from your secret azalea.
The azaleas are beautiful in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia. One street I drive down is filled with azaleas and dogwoods. It’ breathtaking. I rode by Mama’s house on the way to the cemetery and her azaleas were beautiful. She’s been gone almost nine years, but it will always be her house.
Love this story about the azaleas around your home especially the ones you enjoy from your kitchen window and the one that is out of sight too. How sweet that he cuts blooms for you to enjoy inside and so nice of the Satterfield’s to gift one to the new mothers. When I was walking in my neighborhood the other day I noticed what I think is an azalea in bloom up against a house. It was the prettiest and most full [ink and white blooms I had ever seen, maybe similar to your pretty picture above.
My parents had several azaleas, I think the hot pink/fushcia color and maybe some white. Besides the kwanzan cherry tree in the front yard, azalea’s might be the only plant that I remember my mother ever talking about much. She had some orange daylillies and purple iris (from a floral pot) that they planted on the side of the house. Before my brothers and I sold it 11 years ago I dug them up and brought them here to my house. They are my favorite just because they came from my home place, and I had a few purple iris’ in my wedding almost 32 years ago. I have always wanted an azalea but never got any not knowing if I have a good spot that they would like in this yard.
They sure are pretty. I have one that has been here since we moved in 30 years ago
When I lived in Wilmington, NC the entire length of the front of my house was the pinky red azalea’s and they were glorious!!! Wilmington is known as the Azalea capital of the world from my understanding. They have the Azalea Festival every year with an Azalea Queen and all the festivities. And if course all the wonderful food to go with a festival 🙂
Azaleas are much loved, along with the rhododendrons. They have had a lot of attention and propagation over the years. A few years ago I grew quite a few from cuttings from other azaleas already growing here. There is one that is a white and shell pink that was here when we came. I started and transplanted at least five cuttings from it, maybe more. They had never bloomed until this year, now five are. There are some other cuttings around that have not yet ever bloomed, so I still have some ‘secret’ azaleas as well. I did learn that the commercial hybrids are easier to grow from cuttings than the native azaleas.
My mother had many azaleas in her yard along with other flowers. Just like with her and many other family members, many of her azaleas have now died.
I have read the old post this morning from March 24, 2011 titled “ Blast From The Past-I Would Like to Wander Back.” That describes how I now feel. I am constantly thinking of people, places and things from the past years of my life and wishing I could go back. I haven’t been much more than 30 miles from home in a long time and it seems like I have a happy past memory of something everywhere I go.
I’ve always been a gardener so you can imagine when I first saw an orange Azalea I almost got into a car accident because I’ve never seen one before in my life. There are so many different kinds of azaleas, and sometimes the little store-bought ones turn out to be the most beautiful. But those orange ones are still number one in my heart.
Azaleas are very lovely. I think the fact you have a “hidden” azalea to gander at while gathering eggs would really make my day much better! I am plumb foolish about growing flowers myself and if I tell the truth, I love flowers more than growing food until my stomach growls. I think it’s great Chitter and Chatter have their own azaleas as they begin to ABRIENDO RUTAS “laying down roots.” I only know that Spanish from the name of a military operation called that, but it sure fits since the newest generation at your place is planting fauna to last a lifetime. Here’s a hug and bunch of white dogwood and yellow phlox for you and the ladies of the family! Here’s a hug and prayers for Ira and Woodrow to grow big, strong and smart about many things! God bless you wonderful people and prosper you in every way!!!
That secret azalea is beautiful! Mine are red in front of house and white on the side of the house, but almost gone for this season. I’ve had them planted for almost 50 years.
When I was a kid, my papaw managed a landscaping nursery. The store wasn’t onsite, it was in Knoxville, but Papaw tended to the shrubs and trees until they were trucked to McLean’s Nursery. Mamaw and Papaw lived in a little house there on the property and me and my cousins spent the whole summers with them. I can remember the azaleas clearer than anything else/ all their brilliant colors! Some looked like they were a cloud of fire from a distance and I just loved them.
We’re traveling to Satterfield’s today and I just may buy an azalea in honor of Papaw.
What a sweet story and your Deer Hunter too. There’s a hospital in Muskogee, OK that had thousands of them planted. If I remember correctly, the owner of the original hospital planted them for his wife many many years ago and the gardens grew from there. It’s so large, you can drive your car through there to see them. It’s just lovely to see each Spring.
I love your post this morning. I can just imagine how sweet it is to see your secret azalea while gathering eggs each day. I used to have a rose bush beside our chimney, and every once in a while Hubby would pick me one. I have a little patch of purple iris growing in the woods. I can see them out my kitchen window. We are about to build a garage that will block them from my view. If I don’t move them, maybe they can be my secret flowers too. Your potato soup and Pap’s sweet bread looked so yummy last evening. This may be a good day to try them both. I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of your day. Hugs and prayers for all of you…especially Granny.
Azaleas are a pretty flower. What a beautiful reminder of your beloved uncle Henry.
They sure are pretty!
I would love to see more of the chickens in your videos. I just love the sounds they make. Maybe one day I will be able to have some of my own.
Those are beautiful. They look like what we call lilies. My mom calls the orange ones Ditch lilies. Not a pleasant name for such a pretty flower! The orange ones that grow wild are my favorite.