A look at some of the plants and flowers around the beginning of May at Kairaku ("Joint Pleasure" in Japanese), which is generally the peak bloom time.

This wonderful woodland tapestry was begun in 1996 by Bob and his late wife Denise. They moved 600 favorite plants from their old garden near Washington DC to a hilly two acre site in Hendersonville NC covered with native wildflowers, mountain laurels, R. maximum and a few native azaleas, all under mature oaks, tulip poplars, pines and sourwoods. In the spring, thousands of choice azaleas and rhododendrons are in their full glory, along with Trillium, ladyslipper, bloodroot, Anemone, Tiarella, primrose, fern varieties, hellebore, Hosta, Astilbe, Arisaema, Solomon's Seal, Pulmonaria, Saxifraga, Virginia bluebell, wood poppy and other companion plants. There are also many different varieties of Japanese maples, camellias, stewartias, conifers and other ornamental trees.

Soon after Audrey and Bob met at a native azalea rescue project, they married and began to actively renew and improve the garden. In 2012 it was viewed by over 300 attendees at the American Rhododendron Society/Azalea Society of America convention in Asheville NC. Now, Audrey and Bob welcome you to share and enjoy Kairaku as you wander along its winding paths.