Gated Community

When azaleas bloom each spring, the homeowners on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Roosevelt Drive open their backyard fence and post two inviting signs: “The azaleas are blooming. Welcome to my garden.” Anyone — and they mean anyone — is invited to wander through the space of calm-inducing reds, pinks, and purples acclaimed as Evansville’s “dogwood and azalea trail.” This is a scene few Yankees expect to ever enjoy since it’s believed Evansville is as far north as azaleas can grow.

False, says Brian Wildeman, our regular garden columnist. “You can get away with growing azaleas farther north,” he says. “Like any plant, it depends on the variety and the conditions.” Wildeman’s seen them in Chicago. So, the rumor that Evansville is the most northern spot to grow azaleas isn’t true? “Pure lies,” he says.

This private residence with a backyard of beautiful azaleas open to the public? That’s Pure Evansville.

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