Our gorgeous "PJM Compacta" rhododendron is finishing up three weeks of fluffy blooms and I wanted to share it with you. Rhododendrons are the state flower of West Virginia and I tried growing some when I lived in Georgia to remind me of home. I think it was too hot; they kept dying on me. I took a chance on this variety and had my fingers crossed when we planted it last spring. Not only did it grow a foot, it put on quite a show this year.Rhodendrons also remind me of a sweet, old-fashioned song that the Moxie 'rents taught us kids as soon as we were old enough to sing. I did a quick Google search to find it, but alas, no dice. I'm pretty sure it has more than just the one verse and anyone who attended a West Virginia 4-H camp is sure to recognize it, but here's the gist for you non-Mountaineers:
I want to wake up in the morning
where the rhododendron grows,
where the sun comes a-peepin' into where I'm a-sleepin'
and the songbirds sing hello (hello!)
I want to wander through the wildwood
and forget my worldly woes,
and drift back to West Virginia
where the rhododendron grows.
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Actually, having sung this song almost every night to one of my two youngins, I can tell you the verse actually goes:
ReplyDelete"...I want to wander through the wild wood
where the fragrant breezes blow
(then I changed it because we moved away and then moved back)
and stay here in West Virginia
where the rhododendron grow."
But a good song any way you sing it. Your flower is beautiful!
Here's the version of the song that I learned when I came out to West Virginia for camp:
ReplyDeleteI want to wake up in the morning where the rhododendrons grow
Where the sun comes a creeping into where I’m a-sleeping and the songbirds say "hello"
I want to wander through the wild woods where the fragrant breezes blow
And drift back to the mountains where the rhododendrons grow
I want to climb up in the mountains where the rhododendrons grow
Where the Lord is so near me when I breathe He can hear me and the whole world sings below
I want to lay down all my burdens and forget my worldly woes
And stay here in West Virginia where the rhododendrons grow
That's exactly the version I learned at 4-H camp in West Virginia. I actually learned it just this month.
DeleteI came across your post while googling the first lines to the song, which my brother learned when he went to a camp in--yep, West Virginia. Fun to read all the variations in the comment thread!
ReplyDelete