Deciduous Azaleas are in Bloom

Deciduous azaleas are in bloom in the Willamette Valley. I have only one in my garden, which I planted just last year. I would have a few more if I had space. There are few things as breathtaking as a drift of deciduous azaleas in bloom under a canopy of trees. Mine is 'Rosy Lights,' part of the Lights Hybrid Azalea series developed by the University of Minnesota Arboretum. The first in the series was 'Northern Lights' and 'Rosy Lights' was a selection from that plant. 'Rosy Lights' was introduced in 1984. Not surprising given its breeder, the Lights series is very cold hardy.

I have mine planted behind a small water feature and next to low bamboo fence. You can see the copper water spout, which is meant to look like the bamboo water spouts (kakei) in Japanese gardens. I used bamboo originally, but it deteriorates so quickly. The water flows into a granite urn (chozubachi) and then down into a reservoir, where it is recirculated. I purchased both the copper waterspout and basin at Pacific Stonescape in Corvallis.

This area of my south border had been underplanted with dwarf Ophiopogon japonicus (Mondo grass), but our summers have become just too hot to support shalllow-rooted groundcover in full sun. I pulled it all up and mulched with barck chip, which looks ugly. I'll replace the bark chips later this year with Mexican beach pebble. This section of the border is home to a Prunus mume 'Peggy Clark,' a Camellia sasanqua 'Setsugekka' on an espalier, a Daphne x transatlantica 'Eternal Fragrance,' and a Osmanthus delvayii. They are all young and small, except for the P. mume, and with the the wood chips, the scene is a bit underwhelming. In a few more years, though, it will be fantastic.