Those bright lavender shrubs that are appearing everywhere in southern Maine are PJM rhododendrons.

Here is a photo of one from the University of Connecticut database.

Some gardeners consider these small-leaf rhododendrons a one-note plant, and they are everywhere and almost neon-bright. But they appear earlier than the traditional large-leaf rhododendron, and they are virtually foolproof.

If you want something with a slightly more subdued pink you can try 'Olga Mezitt,' which was a Cary Award winner in 2007. This photo is from the Cary Award Web site.

Both were developed by Peter J. Mezitt, which is where PJM comes from, at his Weston Nursery in Weston, Mass. Olga was his wife.

The two rhododendrons mix well with the forsythia and magnolias that also are in bloom now.

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