An Iowa Garden

The University of Minnesota has of course done some great hybridizing work in hardy, deciduous azaleas, with their Northern Lights series. I think over the years I've picked up at least one of everything they've put out. The earliest members, Rosy and White lights, then Orchid lights are nice, but not fall down on the floor spectacular. Since I have pretty good luck here with the more spectacular Exbury type of azaleas, my Light azaleas kind of fade into the jumble, though the more recent Northern Hi-Lights (seen on a recent post) is pretty nice. Not too long ago, though, I went to a local nursery JUST to get some bark mulch, but while I was there I thought I'd just peek into the azalea-rhody greenhouse to see what was in bloom. Well picture me with my mouth dropping open when I walked in, because they had a group of a fairly new Lights azalea I had not seen before, Tri-Lights, seen above and below. The pictures don't do it justice, as it has an indescribable, shimmery silver undertone to a couple of tones of bright pink, and seems to illuminate a dark spot in the woods in a most unique way. The only negative, if there is one, is that it's cool silver-pink doesn't mix with some of the hotter-colored Exbury types, especially in the yellow-orange spectrum. With deciduous azaleas, I'm accustomed to just sticking them in anywhere, and somehow they seem to go together (with the exception of the raw orange of Gibraltar, which I avoid). Well, I'm happy enough to give Tri-Lights a spot of it's own, and if you are zone-challenged like me, you should visit your local nursery while this beauty is in bloom. I should mention it has a wonderful, baby-powder sweet perfume, too.