Duty to Azaleas, Delight to the Eye

A particularly beautiful area of the park is an area I call "azalea basis." If you walk north from the zoo, along th eroad that is now sheltered from car traffic, you will see a long stretch of native azaleas along the right bank.

Last Fall the rhododendrons in azalea basin prepared their buds to bloom this Spring. That was about the time I learned that azaleas are in the rhododendron family. Now they have endured the biting frosts of January and February to perform their annual procreative duty.

Dawn breaks crisp and clear, warming quickly this morning. Sun beams rain unimpeded on the forest floor. It's too early for tree leaves. Azaleas are free to collect those beams and spin their magical beauty. The protective casings are cracked, and brilliant petals unfurl like sails in a rising wind. Others are not far behind, and soon all the azaleas get the message. Pink, orange, red, white and more white. Up the bank here; up the bank there; amid a chorus of avian song, azalea basin flowers bright. Their duty is our delight!

Honeybees are not far behind. From their protected nest in a tree know a hundred feet up, they too await the blossoms. They know exactly where to go. They clumsily tumble through the azalea blossoms; gathering a little pollen from this one and leaving a little for that one.

It happens every year, this colorful display, just as sure as the sun rises. They bloom here because someone years agon planted them here. do yourself a favor this year. Enjoy the splendor of Grant Park's azaleas, and maybe plant a few to see next year.