An Abundance of Purple

 

These rhododendrons in bloom (in the cemetery where I often walk) drew my attention to the old stone cross between them, and I went round to the other side to check what it looked like from there.

It's an old family grave, five people with the same surname buried there between 1895-1952. No longer in care of the family, but returned to the church. Still well looked after - I supposed for a combination of historic intrerest, and the gorgeous rhododendron.

While azaleas are now fast getting past their prime beauty for the season, the rhododendron are at their very best just now - so I decided to go and visit them all! (Or almost, anyway...) All the photos below are of different rhododendron trees and bushes, all over the cemtery.

 

And all of them surrounded by a buzz of busy bees...

Finishing off with a different display of purple. A sign informed me that this old grave is now used as an example of using perennials for decoration.

Busy Bee

 

Yesterday I sat for a good while on my balcony, watching this busy bee making the most of the pelargoniums next to me. 

 
    What do you call a bee that can't make up its mind? A maybee.
    What do you call a bee that misses its target? A fumble bee.
    How do bees communicate with each other? They use bee-mail.
   
 ---

PS. "Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. Geranium is also the botanical name and common name of a separate genus of related plants, also known as cranesbills. Both genera belong to the family Geraniaceae, and Carl Linnaeus originally included all the species in one genus, Geranium; they were later separated into two genera by Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle in 1789." (Wikipedia)