Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Azaleas

Today's post is outside my normal range of interests but I wandered through an azalea exhibition yesterday on my way out of the pool facilities.  My area of Japan is having all sorts of azalea festivals this week.


There is a whole art involved with raising azaleas.  Since the bush in my yard blooms haphazardly and doesn't look particularly beautiful, I don't have a lot of respect for azaleas but obviously I've been missing the flora world of possibilities...


There were hundreds of azalea "trees" at this exhibition, all pruned and encouraged to grow in many different containers and directions.  I suppose this is considered a type of bonsai... miniature tree manipulation.  Such a burst of color!  And all the potted azaleas looked regal in their honored places positioned on polished wooden diases.


Look at the roots on that one!  How did someone get that thing to grow?


This was my favorite.  I was drawn to the asymmetry and balance. 

Was I inspired to go out and prune my azalea bushes?  Nah...  I'm not much of a gardener.  I'm going back to my sewing.

8 comments:

Julie Fukuda said...

My azalea bushes like to do their own thing. Even getting all those potted gems to display their flowers at the same time has got to be an art!

Anonymous said...

Leave the gardening to someone else. Your talent is quilting. We do enjoy your eye for good photo shots.
Jean in Memphis

June said...

My old azaleas looked like they'd about had it when my daughter began to put her old used green tea leaves around the base of them. They LOVED it! It is the best fertilizer for them!

Cassandra said...

Pretty!! But I agree with you; we should stick to our crafting and leave the gardening to someone else. ;)

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

We let the azaleas in our yard grown the way God allows them to, or at least that's our story! ;) I never knew about the art of azaleas and certainly had never seen the bonsai versions... they're beautiful; thanks for sharing, Tanya!

Anonymous said...

I'm more of a quilter than a gardener. But those azaleas were beautiful. I guess I'll leave that to those who know what they are doing. Thanks for sharing.
cindy

Sherri said...

I am not much of a gardener either. Every one has their own specific talents, and mine, like yours, involves using the tools In my quilting studio and not those in the gardening tool shed.

starflash quilts said...

I'm going to send this link to my son, he has been growing bonsai for 3 years! It's strange how our family has developed separate interests in Japanese culture-myself and my other son did judo, I have been writing haiku (badly!) and now bonsai. There seems to be art, ritual and creativity everywhere in the culture. We hope to visit one day!