Tis the Season for a Million Blooms at Powell Gardens

It is the season for a million blooms at Powell Gardens! The azaleas should be at peak Mother's Day weekend as they are already showing bud and bloom:

Here is a closeup of the beautiful Herbert Azalea. Herbert is one of the hardiest of the evergreen type azaleas.
A peak through the woodland garden of the Rock & Waterfall Garden shows scarlet buds of Stewartstownian Azalea.

Here is a closeup of Stewartstownian Azalea which is named after Stewartstown, Pennsylvania. It is a very reliable red-blooming azalea but is so vibrant you must carefully use it in the landscape.

Oriental Wisterias are always a favorite but there bloom is not an annual event in our climate. This is the ON year with a stunning display poised for the weekend visitor to the Perennial Garden's lakeside arbor. Be sure and see it but make sure you bring your nose as it is one of our most fragrant plants too.

Here's a look above the arbor to reveal loads of bud and first bloom of the Texas Purple Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis).

The unique double-flowering redbud (Cercis canadensis 'Flame') can be seen near the chapel. Because of its large, double flowers it blooms when the wild redbuds begin to wane.

And don't forget to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary this season:

The flower buds of Black Oak (Quercus velutina) are as stunnings as beads of jewelry dangling from the pink, canescent new leaves. Look for a mature black oak in bloom behind the prairie border in the Perennial Garden.

Even the flowers of the shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) are unique! The catkins skirt the base of each new whorl of leaves. Hickory buds in general are as beautiful as many flowers.

There are loads of other flowers from the Visitor Center to the Island Garden, Chapel, Rock & Waterfall Garden and Perennial Garden. Too many to blog about so come see for yourself!!!