6/19/08 AZALEAS: USE WITH CARE

Thursday, 7:45 AM. It is 47 degrees, the wind E, calm. The channel is again like glass. The barometer is down, predicting partly cloudy skies, currently blue with some high, thin white clouds.
Some lilacs are still blooming, particularly the white ones by the back porch, but most common lilacs (Syringia vulgaris) and their hybrids are over. There are many crosses of Persian and other lilacs still to bloom, but to me they all lack the effectiveness of the common lilac…size of bloom, fragrance, and the ability to hold up as a cut flower. There are few things like the common lilac to bring the outdoors in.
Azaleas are blooming, and many do well in Bayfield and along the lakeshore. The most dependable are the recent introductions by the University of Minnesota, the “Northern Lights” series (‘Rosy Lights’, ‘Lemon Lights’, etc.) Many varieties of the flame Azalea are also hardy here. Botanically, Azaleas are classified in the genus Rhododendron, according to their flower characteristics, the real difference being that Azaleas are deciduous, and the Rhododendrons more or less evergreen. Azaleas and Rhododendrons are native throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and have been hybridized almost beyond definition over the last several hundred years. A note of caution regarding their use in the landscape: many Azalea (and some Rhododendron) flower colors are eye catching but garish, and unless you are a collector of this group or have some other special interest in planting them, caution is advised, as misuse can result in clashing colors and design concepts, and a busy and unattractive landscape effect.
The poppies are suddenly blooming in the garden this morning, and the peonies will soon follow, so the garden will be colorful again. I need to do some tree pruning this winter, as the garden is getting too shady.
I need to mow lawns today and get the boat out of the Johnson’s barn, as family will begin to arrive in a few days and everyone will want to get out onto the water.