Rhododendron... every garden should have some

[Leena]

The last of TC's picture is like from a fairytale

[TC]

A few days of sunshine and Rhododendron cilpinense has decided to open.  This usually heralds a return to night frosts !!

[TC]

A visit to Culzean castle yesterday for a look at how Spring was coming along.  It looks as if it will be a few weeks until the Rhododendrons will start flowering although there are some signs already.  The Rh.arboreums are just about bursting from bud but it will need a few warm days to have this happen. Because of the age of the trees, the main flower trusses are about 50 feet up amongst the Firs and Pines.
A lot of old (200 years ) trees have been felled by various Winter storms and this has given large areas of glades which have been mainly planted with large leaved Rhododendrons. These seem in an ideal situation being protected overhead by very large Firs.  In  30 years they should give a wonderful show - for my Grandchildren - not me !   

[David at Plantedd]

I was at the Edinburgh Botanics for the Royal Caley's Spring Show and popped into the glasshouses while I was there.  These three epiphytic rhododendrons were looking particularly good.  Apparently you can graft these types onto a ground-dwelling root-stock and grow them that way - not sure how easy it is, but it sounds like something worth looking in to. 

1. Rhododendron himantodes
2. Rhododendron 'Lucy Sorensen'
3. Rhododendron herzogii x aurigeranum

[Maggi Young]

You've cheered my day with these, David.

The  notion of them being growable on a ground-dwelling rootstock is most appealing- will keep an eye open for any word of that, or perhaps others have more information?

[Helen Johnstone]

These three epiphytic rhododendrons were looking particularly good.

I have never heard of epipytic rhododendrons - they look amazing

[Maggi Young]

There are a lot of rhodos which are epiphytic- most of them are in the Vireya section, from Indonesia, Malaysia and New Guinea.  - mostly glamorous, tender plants- often flowering  through winter - or repeatedly-  and deliciously scented as well as brightly coloured. Have a look here to get you started-
http://www.vireya.net/

http://www.rbge.org.uk/the-gardens/rhododendrons

[johnw]

David the R,. himantodes is positively smashing.  At first glance I thought the most beautiful Mt. Laurel.  And then those leaves!

Tom how right you are.  My first half dozen February trips to the west coast - "oh you just missed Cilpinense, it got clobbered x nights ago".  And that Culzean R. barbatum!  I'll never forget the monster at Inverewe braving the flurries in March.


johnw

[TC]

I was absolutely correct. The Cilpinense was covered in fleece but to no avail.  With temperatures just above freezing here for the last 10 days it gave up !  Instead of flowers, it is now covered in what looks like brown Kleenex.
It was the same at Culzean a few days ago, anything that tried to flower has been blasted by the near gale force N. winds.
We were "lucky" with the weather and did not get any snow, but around us it was bad -especially Galloway.  By now we would have visited Logan gardens for the Magnolias and some early Rhods. but the coast road was closed due to snowdrifts.  When I think of Arran, we were really lucky - it is only 25 miles from us in a straight line.  Hopefully Brodick was spared the worst with the west side of the island taking the brunt.
Snowdrifts of 15' were reported in Kintyre - I hope Crarae escaped with no damage.

[johnw]

Tom - A friend just got back from 4 weeks in Kishorn and said it was sunny and unusually nice for March.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

Apparently you can graft these types onto a ground-dwelling root-stock and grow them that way - not sure how easy it is, but it sounds like something worth looking in to.

John,  do you know  much about this ? 

[David at Plantedd]

You've cheered my day with these, David.

The  notion of them being growable on a ground-dwelling rootstock is most appealing- will keep an eye open for any word of that, or perhaps others have more information?

It was Abbie Jury in NZ who I was speaking to about this (from the Jury family of magnolia breeders) so maybe it's a super-skilled process that's beyond us mere mortals!

David the R,. himantodes is positively smashing.  At first glance I thought the most beautiful Mt. Laurel.  And then those leaves!

I was very surprised that R. himantodes was a rhododendron at all! The leaves and flowers are both really striking.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Rhododendron ochraceum flowering here in Kent today - the first to flower  this year.

[johnralphcarpenter]

I noticed some discussion of Section Vireya in this thread. Here's R. jasminiflorum in my polytunnel in 2009. Hasn't flowered yet this year, but it does so every year. The scent is amazing.

[Maggi Young]

R. jasminiflorum has such elegant flowers. 
I presume the tunnel is unheated  and so it is just the tunnel that is offering protection to this charming vireya?