Monday, May 14, 2007

"rhododendrons just like your dresses"




I love rhododendrons. Gladioli I can't quite cope with in the big loud flower stakes, but rhodos need make no apologies for themselves. They come in so many vivid colours, the more clashing the better, and they really do look like they're made of some wondrous tissue stuff. These purple ones though, seem to be the prototype, how they revert when they naturalise ( and yes, I know they're a menace when they do that, acidifying the soil etc).
Azaleas are pretty good too, especially the yellow ones that have a perfume like ylang-ylang.
Thanks to Tall Girl for the title. Ekphrasis makes the heart grow fonder.

8 comments:

herhimnbryn said...

They are stunners and your images have brightened this dark morning.

Thankyou for 'Ekphrasis'. New to me and resulted in a pleasant wander via google.

Jan said...

That shade, that purple....
emperors, passion,nature's dignity...
I have some, just past their best..but still wonderful.

Lesley said...

I love rhododendrons they remind me of Scotland: whole woods of them, and of a trek in Nepal where they were pink and just past their best.

Lucy said...

Thanks!
H - I think 'Ekphrasis' may have been largely coined by the qarrtsiluni lot - tho' you probably know more about it than I do having googled, and has become something of a buzzword now, with perhaps a little tongueincheek! But the line from TG's poem had stuck in my mind - guessing whose dresses they were, though I haven't asked her to confirm that! Glad you liked them anyway.

Catalyst -Hello! I was beginning to miss you, though it's probably bad blogging form to say that!

TG- ;~)

Jan - aha, you and purple! I thought I was going to miss the boat with the rhodos, but now a whole load more seem to be coming out, I saw some stunners today which were white with centres so dark purple to be almost black. I stopped the car to look at them.

Leslee - I think Nepal's probably where they came from, is it? And yes, good ones in Scotland too; the deer munch the buds but it doesn't seem to stop them growing!

andy said...

Methinks you'll like these, then...

Lucy said...

Andy! Good to see you. Thanks for the link - those flame azaleas were gorgeous.

Fire Bird said...

I only ever had one girlfriend who wore dresses!!!

Lucy said...

Ah, I was right then!