Mountain Laurel

I've have rarely ever seen mountain laurel in our neck of the woods. I have seen it at Callaway Gardens, south of us and been mesmerized by the beautiful blooms when hiking in the mountains of North Carolina but my mother pointed out this brilliant display recently on the edge of her back yard.

She said she has fertilized it and worked on it year after year with mixed results, but this year it was a real treat.

 I couldn't stop taking photos of it. It was brilliant and made a showplace of her shady spaces. I had to make a note to myself before I was finished. Shade and Mountain laurels go together. At some point this year I will be trying to root one of these beauties to see if it can grow in the shady canopy that is my back yard.

When I could tear myself away from the beauties growing overhead, I noticed the pretty ferns growing all under the laurels. What a beautiful treat. I hope you enjoy the view, too.