You say colorful; I say colourful
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Photo Theme: COLOURFUL.
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This Saturday’s theme is COLOURFUL. And no, my spellchecker is working fine. We Canucks prefer to use the British spelling rather than the spelling of our neighbours to the south of us in the States.
This colourful rhododendron (from the Greek: rhodos, “rose”, and dendron, “tree”) in the picture above is about 75 years old. I took the photo today and as you can see the red blooms are just beginning to open.
[Click on the photo above for a larger
version of the closeup picture.]
We rescued it from an apartment building we lived in which was being torn down for new condos. Five of the rhodo bushes we rescued have travelled with me for about 30 years, the past 25 years in my current garden.
Rhododendrons are magnificent in bloom and many varieties keep their bright shiny green leaves all year long.
But after that huge burst of colour they are not a very friendly plant. They create an acidic soil which limits underplanting to a very few types of plants which can survive in that type of soil.
[Click on photos to see larger images.]
This rhodo is on my neighbour’s deck. It’s size is typical for a potted rhodo. What’s unusual about this variety is its trumpet-like flowers rather than the huge round blossoms rhodos typically produce.
What I like most about Vancouver is that “spring” begins here in late February. The tulips and daffodils are long gone.
What marks the end of spring for me though is when this red rhododendron blooms. It is the last of the rhodos to bloom. Over the years, the garden planting has developed so that from February often until late November, there are some type of flowers blooming.
My neighbours laugh at me when they see me in my flower gathering mood, garden shears in hand, snipping not only flowers but various types of grasses, shrubs and tree branches growing in our small yard.
This poor Japanese red maple must shiver when it sees me coming. I prune it carefully and use the branches in arrangements. The vibrant red colour makes a brilliant contrast to the other flowers in an arrangement.
[Click on photos for an even closer, close-up view]
PS: I just couldn’t help myself. I had to use the Canadian spelling rather than the American spelling for the word “colour.” It just didn’t look right to me without that “u” sitting with the word.
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May 27th, 2007 at 5:18:00 AM
Oh Larry, these are so beautiful!! I love ‘em! And to think you saved them from being destroyed, it’s all worth the extra effort….and they’re repaying you for saving them with the display of color!!
Thanks for the visit today.
Happy weekend.
May 27th, 2007 at 9:25:19 AM
awesome shots!!
May 27th, 2007 at 11:03:25 AM
Larry, those are just lovely…and I loved the monopoly cards!!!
May 27th, 2007 at 1:04:54 PM
When I lived in Massachusetts, teh rhodo’s did perfectly. But now that I live in hot tennessee, the one I have just barely gets 1 bloom. It’s just so hot here, even in the shade its not happy. so thank you for the beautiful picture to remind me of what they are supposed to looklike
May 27th, 2007 at 1:59:24 PM
Beautiful pictures of your plants. My mom only wishes, she could do so well. It’s so nice to meet you. We are fairly new to the Photo Hunt and we love it. We get to visit the world without leaving home and see some gorgeous pictures.
May 27th, 2007 at 6:01:39 PM
I love the beautiful colors on those plants.
May 27th, 2007 at 6:59:36 PM
Hi Larry. Those are beautiful plants. I love the vibrant blooms and how they seem to make the surrounding bright and lively. Thanks for sharing.
May 27th, 2007 at 11:15:59 PM
very nice photos… and very helpful and informative
i definitely love the japanese red maple pics! good work
May 28th, 2007 at 7:42:40 AM
Your colourful photos are my favourites!
(I teach my students to write both ways - with ou and just o!!)
Those flowers are fantastic!
Thanks for dropping by - and the birthday wishes!
Have a great weekend!
L
May 31st, 2007 at 10:09:53 AM
Aren’t rhododendrons essentially the same as azaleas? They grow well in the acidic soil around pine trees and therefore are great in the south. Yours are gorgeous. At our botanical garden I saw a variety that was a combination peach and pink color… just gorgeous!
May 31st, 2007 at 9:23:01 PM
Our world is full of beauty and color - love when things are in bloom
June 1st, 2007 at 12:48:00 AM
You’re correct. Rhodos and azaleas are of the same family.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:57:16 AM
I didn’t realise that Canadian English was different to American English! I am from England so obviously prefer to spell colourful this way. My website has a lot of American readers and this causes me a dilemma over which spelling to use for several words. In the end though, I usually can not resist the urge to use the English version. It just feels wrong to spell words another way…
I liked your pictures but being a macro photographer felt that you should have got even closer!
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