Bloomin’ Bonsai in Shanghai

We’re not the only ones who appreciate the blazing colors of azalea blossoms each spring. Kathryn Pauli splits her time between Forest Hills, DC and Shanghai, China. She recently stumbled across these bonsai-style beauties.

By Kathryn Pauli
(Reposted with permission from kathrynpauli.com)

It’s probably about time for azaleas where I come from and although I had mixed feelings about planting such garish colors in my own front yard, I used to love walking or driving around Washington and seeing them everywhere, bunched together, spreading out…

Over the weekend, I came across blooming azaleas at a place I was surprised to discover here in Shanghai, Zui Bai Chi garden, a classical Ming dynasty Suzhou-style garden. Probably I shouldn’t be surprised. There’s always so much here that I just don’t know or understand.

Anyhow, I thought I’d share these beauties.

I wonder how they get such thick blossoms. And now for the bloominest of all! Five shades grafted onto one plant!

To see larger versions of these photos and more of Kathryn Pauli’s writings about life in Shanghai, visit her blog, From My Tingzijian, at www.kathrynpauli.com.