This is another rhododendron in my back garden, with the lovely pond in the background. For some reason, the almost-open bud clusters remind me of lotus flowers…

The contrast between the different flower colours are far more delightful in reality. It can’t be a surprise why these bushes are so loved by gardeners…


You can also go for the Persian Carpet look with miniature bushes with dense small flowers:

Citrus blossom is the quintessential scent of spring in Israel. And if you think that it ends with orange blossoms, you are seriously mistaken. All citrus trees are in full bloom, and if the humming bees don’t waste their time to make honey from all the sweet & tart fragrant nectar, even more so the perfumer and fragrance enthusiast should not miss this fabulous season. I am surprised that the Middle East does not have a tradition of going out to the orchard to admire the blossoms, much like the Japanese admire their Sakura.

The most fantastic thing about citrus blossoms is that the while their scent is distinctively floral, they are also reminiscent of the fruit to come. After all, the fruit is what will come out of the flowers! And as you can see in the pomelo blossom photo above, the little fruit are already starting to emerge.

This evergreen bush was in full bloom everywhere I went in the cities. But it was especially fragrant in the gardens of Jerusalem, where its exceptional aroma, reminiscent of both orange blossom and jasmine scented the air with its uplifting and delicate scent.