I recently shared photos of some beautiful azaleas that are currently blooming in our yard, but completely forgot to include another photo. This is a photo of my pink bicycle, parked in front of azalea bushes laden with fuchsia blooms!
photo by me
The azaleas in this photo are rather special, as they came from my grandmother. According to the way I remember the story, someone visited the island of Formosa (now known as Taiwan) and brought back some azaleas. I think it is more plausible that they brought back "cuttings" rather than entire plants, but I am not sure. My grandmother came into possession of some of them and planted them beside her house and they thrived. Years later during a visit, my parents accepted an offer of some cuttings/plants, and brought them here. Because of their provenance, I refer to these as the "Formosa Azaleas." These bushes are large — taller than I am, which is amazing because I am 5'8" (172.7 cm) — and there are three or four of them growing in a row, so they make quite an impressive sight when they are blooming!
Anyone interested can read about the etymology of the names "Formosa" and "Taiwan" here
