First Azalea - Pink Star George Taber

by Connie Fox

Title

First Azalea - Pink Star George Taber

Artist

Connie Fox

Medium

Photograph - Outdoor Color Photo. Botanicals And Nature

Description

The first azalea of the season, shown as a pale pink star-shaped beauty dusted with a generous sprinkling of magenta toward the top. Identified as a George L. Taber azalea, which features a distinctive magenta pattern on pink petals, a stunning combination.

Single pink flower, set against a green background of leaves, azalea buds, and branches. This image would make a pretty set of note cards for a brand-new season, Easter or birthdays, or to honor special mothers in your life.

Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron: the Tsutsuji (evergreen) and Pentanthera (deciduous). This one is evergreen and rarely needs any attention except for a bit of occasional trimming of a branch or two.

Four cans of these beauties were salvaged from a sidewalk sale at K-mart for a dollar a can. They started out as pitiful little sticks and grew to become a glorious annual favorite in this garden. The homeowner does not bother to cover them in winter, even when it snows or temperatures dip below freezing.

Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks. Shade tolerant, they prefer living near or under trees. They also prefer acidic soil and love to be mulched with pine needles. Of course the homeowner does not bother to do this either, nor does she feed them. Still, they continue to thrive.

Copyright 2012 Connie Steitz Fox
All Rights Reserved
Nikon D80

Featured on the homepage of Premium FAA Artists, February 2014, and Seen But Not Noticed, November 2014; Nikon Full Frame Cameras, 2023.

Uploaded

February 29th, 2012

Colors

Embed

Share

Tags