Rhododendron 2021

[Maggi Young]

RHS Rhododendron Camellia & Magnolia Group Video - youtube channel =
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9nmENFAJhU16Qa2ersVVLQ

Russell Beeson takes you into his town garden, packed full of wonderful plants. He talks through a selection of Rhododendrons out in flower and shows you what you can do with a smaller space.

[johnw]

Here's 'Wren' yesterday, cuttings came from Glendoick in the early 1980s thanks to Peter Cox back in the days when a phyto was easy. It's yellow, it's prostrate & one of the best of Glendoick's lepidote hybrids here on the coast of Nova Scotia.  It flowers dependably every year and is a personal favourite.  The plant was 1.5m across but I had to remove some branches that were overtaking some good fastigiatums. 

Interestingly it is on a bit of a mound with a sharp vertical drop to its south, level ground to the north, east and west. It hadn't done much until I faced that south edge with 10 cm thick peat blocks to cool off & keep moist that side of the root system, it was as if it had been waiting for those blocks as it immediately took off like a shot.

Highly recommended and without the miffiness of R. ludlowii!
johnw
8c & sunny @ 10:00 AST

[johnw]

The Rhododendron world has lost a truly great & innovative plantsman, Jens Christian Birck of Copenhagen, Denmark.  My sincere condolences to his wife Kari and his family, and to his dear friend Svend Hansen and his wife Birgit. Both Jens and Svend grew the most beautiful rhododendrons I have ever seen, his own garden was pure perfection. In the early 1990s I reached out to Jens with great trepidation, in awe of such a giant of the rhodo world, we had a long chat and within days my request for the elusive proteoides R.151 pollen arrived in the mail. Our friendship developed through visits and travel and we declared several months ago and re-affirmed two weeks ago that we were mutual & absolute best friends. He & I had prepared for this day for several years nevertheless the news comes as a devastating shock. Just last night I posted his 'Spider Dane' on the internet which is but the tip of the iceberg of his legacy to the rhodo world, the immensity of which will take years to be discovered.. Popular lecturer worldwide for his insightful observations and innovations in the Genus Rhododendron. Plant Hunter in China with Svend and later with Warren Berg & June Sinclair.  ARS Gold Medal Winner. Founding father in 1973 of The Danish Chapter, one of the Founding Fathers of the Swedish Chapter, ARHS Honourary Life Member.  Renowned Hybridiser whose selections can be found at Baumschule Hachmann. The world has lost a wonderful & generous human being.

John Weagle
Halifax, Nova Scotia

[Maggi Young]

I am sure I am not alone  in being greatly saddened by this news of the  death of Jens Christian Birck.
While sending condolences to his friends and family, we must also  realise the  rhododendron world has lost  someone  irreplaceable.

[Tomasz Cyba]

John, my real passion for rhododendrons developed in part by watching the photos of rhododendrons posted on the Internet by one German collector, and in part the photos of plants in JCB's garden posted here by you and him over the years. And then in 2017 I asked you a question about JCB's fortunei, and you wrote me how to get seeds of this plant  - the batch I got from ARHS was among the first I tried to sow... On our mailing group I wrote that we'll remember JCB thanks to the plants he created, but I'll remember JCB forever because of these triggers that made me not only a rhododendron lover, but also a rhododendron hybridizer, as the Master himself. So I was very saddened upon learning today that JCB passed away.

[Roma]

Rhododendron keiskei 'Yaku Fairy' grown many years ago from SRGC seed



Rhodo. 'Oban'  Will have to repot it and get rid of the trees Scots pine and Larch are a bit big for pot sharing.



Rhodos 'Elsie Lee' and 'Panda' later flowering and escaped the frost.  Last year Elsie was covered in buds but got very dry and they all aborted.