Brookside Gardens

Rhododendron 'Choice Cream'

It's azalea season and there's a seemingly inexhaustible number of cultivars to admire and marvel at in the Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County, Maryland. The undulating small hills in this award-winning garden -- a 50-acre public garden tucked in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country -- are teeming with an explosion of colors from the azalea collection at its peak. Strolling through the different sections of Brookside, we were never too far from the line of sight of these colorful azalea blooms that are constantly vying for the attention of admirers. The largest concentration of these flowering shrubs are planted in the eponymous Azalea Garden in the middle of Brookside. In total, there are over 300 different species of azaleas represented by over 3,000 plants, healthily established in these slopes.

Rhodendron 'Yachiyo'

Rhododendron 'Refulgence'

Rhodendron 'Janet Blair'

Rhododendron 
'Catawbiense Grandiflorum'

Rhododendron 'Cinderella'

Here, families out on Mothers' Day were taking pictures with and among hundreds of azalea blooms on each shrub, bursting with neon pink, purple, orange, and subtler shades of pink, white, and cream. I overheard a gardener explaining to a fellow visitor the purpose of the unique patterns of dots and lines on one of the petals of the flowers; these are akin to the landing strip markings on a runway, guiding specific symbiotic pollinating bee species to the motherlode of nectar. Her friend exclaimed, "We learn new things everyday!" Another couple was investigating a rare cultivar in close detail, contemplating what the hybrid would need in terms of soil conditions for best results. Others were relaxing in the shade of the larger azalea plants and the gardens' many mature trees, lounging on a garden bench with an absorbing novel in hand, blissfully unaware of their fellow garden lovers.

Rhododendron 'Ben Morrison'

Rhododendron 'Sprite'

Rhododendron 'Sappho'

Rhododendron 'Kirishima'

Rhododendron 'Midnight Flare'

With every turn along the garden path, an endless array of azaleas would appear with each variety more astonishing than the previous. Multiple plants of each cultivar are planted together to achieve a dense and impressive effect. All are exquisite but if I am pressed to name a favorite, the 'Choice Cream' hybrid would just be a hair's width ahead the next contender. 'Choice Cream' was developed by the late azalea expert Fred Galle from hybridizing R. austrinum and R. atlanticum. This native cultivar boasts creamy pale yellow blossoms clustering into a large bouquet ball. If you're an azalea aficionado, this is certainly one garden you must see.

Rhododendron 'Winterthur'

Rhododendron 'Cattleya'