XIII 



THE AZALEAS 



i 



Hybrid forms of 



Rhododendron calendulaceum . Flame Flower 



nudifiorum . . Wild Upright "Honeysuckle" or 



Pinxter Flower 



viscosum . . Swamp Honeysuckle 

 flavium 



Rhododendron sinense . . , . Chinese Azalea 



mollis . *> .'. . Japanese or Downy Azalea 



A GARDEN of flame! that is the description 

 that best fits an Azalea garden seen under 

 the brilliant sky of June. And its note of 

 colour marks the Azalea's brilliance as unparalleled 

 among flowering shrubs, so vivid is its glory, so 

 varied its hues. " I always rejoice when the Azalea 

 blooms," says George Ellwanger in "The Garden's 

 Story." " In it I find a charm presented by no other 

 flower. Its soft tints of buff, sulphur, and primrose, 

 its dazzling shades of apricot, salmon, orange and 

 vermilion are always a fresh revelation of colour. 

 They have no parallel among flowers, and exist only in 

 opals, sunset skies, and the flush of autumn woods. 

 ... I admit the Rhododendron is magnificent where 



it can be acclimated, but ... it is exceeded in gor- 



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