Celebrating rhododendrons!

Last year, we took a plain patch of mostly grass and unloved planting and try to turn it into a little version of our own country cottage garden. This year, it was going to be exciting to see how our plants would do since we had an extreme frost period in the late winter. Our planting was so new that I was worried about loosing a good deal of things. We however have only lost a few things and now I am going through and picking out spots that needed different planting or replanting in different areas. I have a front and back garden in this house but here is the start of the growing season from one angle in the back.

We have created various areas to sit. There is a terrace at the house and one on the other side of the path through the pergola. I like this area as it is shady in the mornings. I also created two benches among the garden plants using the concrete blocks we removed from other areas. There are stepping stones enabling you to walk all the way around the garden amongst the plants. This bench is in a corner over by the rhododendron. It will eventually become covered on the front with ivy. I have cushions in my quilt studio to take out and place on the bench when we want to go sit there. I have to move the bird bath but have not gotten to creating a pot stack to sit it on. Another project yet to do...

The rhododendrons is in the height of its bloom here in our city garden while the one I showed you at Cranberry Cottage on a previous post is already faded and dropped its blossoms. What a shame the season for rhododendrons is so short!

I love the language of flowers from the Victorian era. I however am puzzled at the meaning of rhododendrons.....agitation, danger and beware. Somehow I cannot see this meaning in these pretty blossoms unless I must beware of the danger of becoming agitated with the drunken beauty of these flowering shrubs. *grins*