Dogwoods and Azaleas

I do enjoy the beautiful Springtime!It is so beautiful in Pendleton SC when all the Dogwood Trees and Azaleas are in bloom. We live toward the bottom of a hill and as you drive down the hill and get closer to our home, the site of all the spring bloomers come into view and it takes my breath away every time. I can't take credit for any of it.My husband's mother rooted most of the Azaleas back in the late 60's when he build this house. She had several rooting beds in the yard and she worked and worked until she had rooted enough to cover the whole yard. They continue to bring us much joy.

Several years ago I asked the local photographer, Greg Ammons of Ammons Portrait Studio, to come over and take pictures. His were much better than mine, of course. We picked out three that we really liked and had them enlarged and printed on canvas. They cover one whole wall of our dining room so we get to enjoy Spring all year round. Greg passed away this year and I will always think of him when looking at the beautiful photographs of our Dogwoods and Azaleas.

Photo Credit: I took these photos with my Canon Power Shot A560. I have a lot to learn about photography but for right now I just enjoy being able to capture some moments. Our neighbor also allowed me to share some of his great photography below.

Thank you to our neighbor, Frank Breazeale, for sharing this photo and allowing me to post it here. He has taken numerous photographs of the blooms in our neighborhood and when I see him walking with his camera, I know that he has spotted another beauty to capture.

The Cherry Red Azalea is my favorite and these are old Azaleas. I have rooted the red one several times so have them around the house. None of them are as large as these. I am not sure how old these are but they are over 40 years old, for sure.

The Legend of the Dogwood

I know you have probably heard the story of the Dogwood Blossom and what it symbolizes but I am going to repeat it here. Actually, the blossom is that part in the middle and the outside white or pink part is called "Bract". Back during the time that Jesus was on earth, the Dogwood was a huge tree about the size of a large Oak. It had sturdy, strong wood and that is the reason that it was chosen to make the cross that Jesus was crucified on. This upset the Dogwood Tree because it did not want to be used for such cruelty. Jesus told the Dogwood that it would never again be used to cause suffering so he made the Dogwood to be much smaller, bent and twisted. He made the Dogwood Blossoms to be in the form of a cross with two long and two short petals. Each would have brown nail prints stained with red and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns. The Dogwood was to be a reminder to us about the crucifixion.I am not sure who originally wrote this story but I like it and think about it when I look closely at the Dogwood Blossom or Bract.

The Bright Red Azalea is my favorite.

My favorite color Azalea is the bright red. I have rooted some from these larger bushes and need to transplant them this year because they have grown quite a bit. This is an unusual color. It is very close to the common red ones you see but different. We also have several different shades of pink Azaleas.

I really enjoy the springtime and all the beautiful blossoms.

The first weekend in April is the Spring Jubilee Arts and Crafts Festival in our town and it seems the Dogwoods always know to bloom just in time for it. Just click the picture to learn more about Spring Jubilee in Pendleton, SC.