The blooms on the dogwoods and azaleas are the brightest and prettiest.

And the ponds that guard some of the most famous holes in golf are picture-book shades of blue.

Must be an aggressive fertilization and watering program, right?

Guess again.

Natural timing and natural beauty are just two of the reasons golf fans typically “ooh” and “ahh” each year when they arrive for the Masters Tournament.

Contrary to popular opinion, the club does not apply heavy doses of fertilizer or pesticides to keep appearances up, key personnel at Augusta National say. In fact, the opposite is true.

“At Augusta National Golf Club, we are concerned about the environment,” said Hootie Johnson, club chairman. “A state-of-the-art irrigation system and a primarily curative versus preventative philosophy are just two examples of our commitment to the environment.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Mother Nature has been kind to Augusta National. Real kind.

The 365-acre property off Washington Road once was an indigo plantation. In the 19th century it became Fruitlands Nurseries, and many trees and plants were imported from all over the world. When the nursery closed in 1918, many flowering plants and trees remained on the property.

When Masters co-founder Bobby Jones discovered the property after he retired from competitive golf in 1930, he was awestruck.