Lucky for us Jay Pratt never followed through on his plan to sell his 18 acres of land to developers, who wanted to turn it into a subdivision. Instead, he transformed the land that was an old dairy farm into a colorful fantasyland of flowers.

Like Brigadoon, the magical vista is there . . . and then it is gone for another year. But during the weeks between mid-April and the end of June, Jay’s gardens attract azalea lovers from all around who show up for the annual show. Jay has planted so many bushes he isn’t sure how many he has -- his best guess is somewhere around 2,000 bushes. And he can’t tell you how many varieties he has either, but he jokes that whenever he hears of an unusual variety he will “beg, borrow or steal” a cutting. Of course, he is joking, but when you see all the technicolor flowers and the different sizes of blooms, you just might believe him.

The garden is free. His wife won’t even let the grandkids sell lemonade, although she said if they were so inclined, they could give it away. When you arrive, just park in one of the fields and then follow the cow paths to see all the flowers.