Rhododendron Species Foundation Garden

I just looked back at my post from a year ago, and I could just link back to that one, I guess. That day was sunny and last Saturday it was cloudy, and beginning to rain lightly as we finished our two mile stroll. 

Most of the rhodies were finished blooming, but the greens glowed, and the under story plants (ground level) were a real attraction for us.

 Fuzzy new growth on the big leaf rhodies. 

 A busy ant hill. 

 An exotic yellow poppy. 

 Japanese primrose.

 A huge stand of May Apple. 

 Cinnamon ferns, I think.

 Stalks of Cardiocrinum gigantium, Himalayan lily. getting ready to bloom. It takes up to seven years to get to the bloom stage. Then they die, but hopefully not before reproducing. 

 

 More Himalayan lilies in the blue poppy bed. 

 We were pleased to time our visit for the blooming of the Himalayan blue poppies, 

 Seed heads of the Himalayan lilies, from last year's blooms. 

 The pond garden. The pond is covered with green pond plants of algae. 

 A place to rest. 

 This fern tree marks the entrance to the Stumpery. 

Arisaema - Jack-in-the-pulpit varieties. 

 

 Ferns abounb in the stumpery. which has filled in with growth covering much of the dead wood. 

 Moving on, some rhodies. 

 And another patch of blue poppies. 

 Tom is trying to capture just the right photo. 

 A pretty, bright mountain laurel - Kalmia

 A knock out azalea. 

 In the conservatory, where the exotics grow. 

This was a beautiful way to get in our two mile walk, s-l-o-w-l-y. Just right for a day off.