I went on a hike yesterday from Pisgah Inn (on the Blue Ridge Parkway) down
to Pink Beds (Pisgah Forest) in NC. It was an overcast day with rain
expected in the afternoon. The flowers were full splendor. As we walked
through tunnels of mountain laurel in full bloom, flowers on both sides of
the trail welcomed us. These flowers were also blooming: gazillions of flame
azaleas, galax, fly poison, fire pink, yellow primrose, jack in the pulpit,
spiderwort, blackberries, and squaw root. The trillium was done but the
leaves were still there. Also the showy orchis must have finished but the
leaves were still green. It was a magical time, especially coming into huge
patches of ferns all around. I kept expecting to see Mad's fairies to
appear. Since there was so much rain, there were many little waterfalls,
which are not normally there. Finally at lunch time, we found a camping spot
and ate lunch in this opening that was surrounded totally by mountain laurel
that was in full bloom. The sun broke through the clouds and celebrated our
lunch with us. When we arrived in Pink Beds, there were fields of daisies
that surrounded us. Even when it finally started to rain, the happy feelings
didn't go away. What a joyous, exciting day!

loony

Thank you Pat for that awesome account. Sometime I need to meet up with you
and take a winded hike with you there.............I would love to find a
little nursery that carries those flame azaleas, as they would LOVE my dry
woods. And they're so fragrant!! Miz Virginia whom I got my daylilies from
has one at the back of her house and I was unaware they were so fragrant.
And hers was up to her gutters in height! Flame azalea's are much more
hardy and I adore the orange!! again ((((((((((huge hug)))))))))))) for the
report. I'm sure the little Pisgah Forest fairies had quite a hand in the
display GBSEG. .... madgardener overwhelmed by the JUNGLE of her own ridge
at the moment further westward in Eastern Tennessee, up on the ridge facing
English Mountain in zone SEVEN, Sunset zone 36 (could it be warmer since
they've upped our growin' zone too??)

"loonyhiker" wrote in message
...
I went on a hike yesterday from Pisgah Inn (on the Blue Ridge Parkway)
down
to Pink Beds (Pisgah Forest) in NC. It was an overcast day with rain
expected in the afternoon. The flowers were full splendor. As we walked
through tunnels of mountain laurel in full bloom, flowers on both sides of
the trail welcomed us. These flowers were also blooming: gazillions of
flame
azaleas, galax, fly poison, fire pink, yellow primrose, jack in the
pulpit,
spiderwort, blackberries, and squaw root. The trillium was done but the
leaves were still there. Also the showy orchis must have finished but the
leaves were still green. It was a magical time, especially coming into
huge
patches of ferns all around. I kept expecting to see Mad's fairies to
appear. Since there was so much rain, there were many little waterfalls,
which are not normally there. Finally at lunch time, we found a camping
spot
and ate lunch in this opening that was surrounded totally by mountain
laurel
that was in full bloom. The sun broke through the clouds and celebrated
our
lunch with us. When we arrived in Pink Beds, there were fields of daisies
that surrounded us. Even when it finally started to rain, the happy
feelings
didn't go away. What a joyous, exciting day!

loony

Don't know if it is the one you're trying to find but Niche Gardens in Chapel
Hill, NC (www.nichegdn.com) has a yellow flame azalea. (and they do mail
order!)

We inherited a "up to the gutters" flame azalea when we bought our house. I've
tried several times to root cuttings but no luck. Planning to try layering it
to see what might happen.

Marcy

Thanks Marcy, but it wasn't me. But I'm glad to get the info too.

loony


"Marcy Hege" wrote in message
...
Don't know if it is the one you're trying to find but Niche Gardens in
Chapel
Hill, NC (www.nichegdn.com) has a yellow flame azalea. (and they do mail
order!)

We inherited a "up to the gutters" flame azalea when we bought our house.
I've
tried several times to root cuttings but no luck. Planning to try layering
it
to see what might happen.

Marcy

Don't know if you saw madgardener's response to your original post but she was
looking for a nursery that carried flame azaleas like Miz Virginia's. So that's
where my response came from.

Sure wish I could find time for a few days to slip away to the Blue Ridge
mountains. It's about a four hour drive from here. How far are you from the
Blue Ridge mountains?

Mracy

it's nice to know someone notices I am here occaisonally. I miss
ya'll........g
thanks for the source for the Azalea btw. maddie
"Marcy Hege" wrote in message
...
Don't know if you saw madgardener's response to your original post but she
was
looking for a nursery that carried flame azaleas like Miz Virginia's. So
that's
where my response came from.

Sure wish I could find time for a few days to slip away to the Blue Ridge
mountains. It's about a four hour drive from here. How far are you from
the
Blue Ridge mountains?

Mracy

In article , "loonyhiker"
writes:

went on a hike yesterday from Pisgah Inn (on the Blue Ridge Parkway) down
to Pink Beds (Pisgah Forest) in NC. It was an overcast day with rain
expected in the afternoon. The flowers were full splendor. As we walked
through tunnels of mountain laurel in full bloom, flowers on both sides of
the trail welcomed us. These flowers were also blooming: gazillions of flame
azaleas, galax, fly poison, fire pink, yellow primrose, jack in the pulpit,
spiderwort, blackberries, and squaw root. The trillium was done but the
leaves were still there. Also the showy orchis must have finished but the
leaves were still green. It was a magical time, especially coming into huge
patches of ferns all around. I kept expecting to see Mad's fairies to
appear. Since there was so much rain, there were many little waterfalls,
which are not normally there. Finally at lunch time, we found a camping spot
and ate lunch in this opening that was surrounded totally by mountain laurel
that was in full bloom. The sun broke through the clouds and celebrated our
lunch with us. When we arrived in Pink Beds, there were fields of daisies
that surrounded us. Even when it finally started to rain, the happy feelings
didn't go away. What a joyous, exciting day!

loony


Loony, that was just beautiful. I enjoy very much hearing about the other
areas and the wildflowers and what the country side is like. Thanks for
your lovely description.
Emilie
NorCal

MLEBLANCA wrote:

snip
Loony, that was just beautiful. I enjoy very much hearing about the other
areas and the wildflowers and what the country side is like. Thanks for
your lovely description.

Speaking of wildflowers, several years ago Albuquerque did something I thought
was really nifty. The old Keep Albuquerque Beautiful program handed out plastic
bags with biodegradable capsules of wildflower seeds in them. People were
encouraged to toss out the capsules along the roadways as they travelled the
state for beautification purposes. I can't really say how successful the project
was but in concept it was sound. I still have a few and tossed some last weekend
as we took a day road trip. And I saw lots of flowers but who knows if they are
descended from the capsules.
--
John S. DeBoo

looney, your description of the Blue Ridge Parkway wildflowers brought back
vivid memories of a drive I took one late June where I joined the Blue Ridge
from just west of Winston Salem and drove all the way down to Asheville.
There were times I almost drove off the road, so many pretty things to look
at. And I did tour the native rhododendron glens. What an amazing diversity
of plants live in those mountains - apparently protected during the last ice
age.
"MLEBLANCA" wrote in message
...
In article , "loonyhiker"
writes:

went on a hike yesterday from Pisgah Inn (on the Blue Ridge Parkway)
down
to Pink Beds (Pisgah Forest) in NC. It was an overcast day with rain
expected in the afternoon. The flowers were full splendor. As we walked
through tunnels of mountain laurel in full bloom, flowers on both sides
of
the trail welcomed us. These flowers were also blooming: gazillions of
flame
azaleas, galax, fly poison, fire pink, yellow primrose, jack in the
pulpit,
spiderwort, blackberries, and squaw root. The trillium was done but the
leaves were still there. Also the showy orchis must have finished but the
leaves were still green. It was a magical time, especially coming into
huge
patches of ferns all around. I kept expecting to see Mad's fairies to
appear. Since there was so much rain, there were many little waterfalls,
which are not normally there. Finally at lunch time, we found a camping
spot
and ate lunch in this opening that was surrounded totally by mountain
laurel
that was in full bloom. The sun broke through the clouds and celebrated
our
lunch with us. When we arrived in Pink Beds, there were fields of daisies
that surrounded us. Even when it finally started to rain, the happy
feelings
didn't go away. What a joyous, exciting day!

loony


Loony, that was just beautiful. I enjoy very much hearing about the other
areas and the wildflowers and what the country side is like. Thanks for
your lovely description.
Emilie
NorCal