On the way home from work yesterday—during one of our brief respites from rain—I must have seen or heard a half dozen mowers buzzing (mine being one) as folks frantically tried to play catch up with their ever-growing lawns. Late April rain followed by several 90 degree days followed by even more rain has made grass grow and flowers and foliage “pop” overnight.
One section of the Winterthur Garden that is in its full glory as a result is Azalea Woods. Walking through the maze of paths in this 8 acre woodland, one is saturated in color form head to foot. Wildflowers such as Trillium, Jacob’s ladder, and Spanish Bluebell provide swathes of color at the feet of masses of kurume azaleas in shades of pink, white, red and lavender. White flowers of dogwood, red bud and Carolina silverbell provide color overhead yet well below the cathedral-like canopy of the towering tulip poplar, beech and oak that makes up the woodland. But don’t stop there—Winterthur boasts azaleas in flower throughout the estate so take advantage of the weekend forecast (crossed fingers) and come and see what beauty the rains have bestowed upon us.
