flowerbuds

[birck j c]

After amazing 300 mm of rain i July (almost 12 in)
- normal average 66 mm - bud set on some rhododendron
have been stunning.

Rh. pronum have several flw. buds on well grown branches,
this normally only occur on not too healthy ones.(227)

Rh. roxieanum from Dawyck - 25 years+ old here - very rare to flower
now almost every branch have a flw.bud. (226)

Rh. wasonii aff. Warren Berg col. SB 9023 now 20 years old have until now
only produced 4 -5 flowers in these 20 years. Now !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (246)

This flw.bud set can also be observed on all seedlings (12) of (Hotei x horaeum) now 40-50 cm.

jens



   

[Maggi Young]

Wonderful to see the rhodos budding up so well. I find them so interesting in all their stages but the promise that is contained in all those buds is especially exciting.

[Lesley Cox]

They look incredibly well and healthy. The roxieanum is especially exciting. You'll be showing it later in flower of course.

[johnw]

Now how did I miss this posting?

Incredible budset on some of these rare budders Jens.  Danish sorcery or just sunshine?  I fear we will have no budset this year - so little sunshine.  Rain forcast here for all of next week.

johnw

[birck j c]

After 300 mm/12 in of rain it can't be the sunlight so
Danish sorcery or lots of water.
jens

[johnw]

After 300 mm/12 in of rain it can't be the sunlight so
Danish sorcery or lots of water.
jens

Well if water does the trick we might be okay. 70mm Tuesday night and I'm sure the same amount Wednesday night.

johnw

[birck j c]

Removing teabags by the hundreds
still some time to enjoy flowers
which survived the frost.
(858) rex
(272) close up of rex.

birck

[Lesley Cox]

Jens, would you explain the teabags comment please? Do you protect the young buds with (emptied) teabags? or.....?

Rex is stunning, so well named.

[johnw]

Jens  - Rex tremendae majestatis!

It should be named after Tue Jorgensen!

You must post that picture of the buds on your roxieanum, I am still in shock.

johnw

[johnw]

Jens, would you explain the teabags comment please? Do you protect the young buds with (emptied) teabags? or.....?

Lesley - We have one member here who put woolen mittens over all the buds of her Rhododendron Taurus for fear of them being winter-killed.  I  think gauze teabgs might be a tad breezy in a winter gale, I should think a talented plantsman like Jens would surely leave the tea in them.

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

If Jens' garden were up wind of mine I wouldn't be happy with clouds of teabags blowing in my direction. Some local farmers put nifty little woollen coats over their lambs, especially the more valuable ones, in case of late snow and cold winds. A lamb wearing a woolly coat looks very cute.

[birck j c]

Lesley - Teabags You might not see them in Zone 9
but here this years there were lots and lots of them.
So what I call "Teabags" are frosted flowers full out
or just showing colours. A few hours after the disaster
they turn into something that look like teabags!
Photo(281) taken a few days after so the colours are now
more dark brown - but might give an hint of what has happened.
And John wanted a shot of my oreonastes(280)
In many texts it is mentioned to be a no/seldom flowered
specie - as You can see this clone can't read.

birck

[ian mcenery]

And John wanted a shot of my oreonastes(280)
In many texts it is mentioned to be a no/seldom flowered
specie - as You can see this clone can't read.

birck

Jens I hope one day that my little plant might look like this

How old is it?

[birck j c]

Jens I hope one day that my little plant might look like this Cool

How old is it?

close to 25 years grafted plant
now 1 meter by 1,2 meter
birck

[Lesley Cox]

Oh yes, that's a very badly educated rhodo. Obviously can't read a word.

I remember back in 1981 when I was first in Scotland my friend and I followed a blizzard right across the country and later down through England. We arrived at Inverewe to find among others, a magnificent plant of Rh. niveum, in full, perfect flower, perfect in that every truss was just at its peak and it should have been superb. BUT - it was covered in teabags from the frost the night before. We do get them here. I get maybe one year in three on Rh. x Cilpinense without teabags.