Rhododendron... every garden should have some

[Diane Whitehead]

When I saw your leaves, John, I rushed out to look at mine, wondering
how I could have missed such a blaze of colour in my garden. 

One leaf is red, and all the rest are bronzy.  Maybe it is too
early yet.  I will keep my eye on it. We don't get fantastic fall
colour on the Pacific coast, though.

I bought my quinquefolium as a tiny cutting in 1974, and it began blooming in
1986.

[johnw]

I bought my quinquefolium as a tiny cutting in 1974, and it began blooming in
1986.

Diane  - How big is it now?  I heard Suzuki giave a talk in Norway on the deciduous azalea species in Japan. I was floored. They looked like Cornus kousa in the mountains, absolutely amazing and huge.  R. nudipes he recommended highly, but they're all wonnderful.

johnw

[Diane Whitehead]

Oh, nothing like my Cornus kousa.

Quinq is about two metres high.

[johnw]

Rhododendron bureavii Ovate, great arguements if this was bureavii or bureavioides.  1-3

Rhododendron roxieanum Oreonastes 4

Rhododendron roxieanum Globigerum  5

Rhododendron roxieanum hmmm - halfway between  roxieanum Oreonastes and roxieanum Globigerum? 6

Rhododendron roxieanum hmmm again 7

Rhododendron principis (formerly vellereum) with its unusual spongy indumentum 8

johnw

[Onion]

John,

is the Rh. bureavii Ovate a special selection? I only know Rh. bureavii with smaller leaves. Your's look superb with the large leaves.

[Ragged Robin]

Great undersides to the leaves too - lovely variation in colour and shape of your Rhodos, John

[johnw]

John,

is the Rh. bureavii Ovate a special selection? I only know Rh. bureavii with smaller leaves. Your's look superb with the large leaves.

Uli - I think it is a selected form of bureavii as it is very good. In a garden yesterday we saw a bureavii Award of Merit Form that one looked exactly like Ovate.  The " Ovate" came from Sandy Rhododendron about 10 years ago and was sold at our society's sale. I wonder if the nursery lost the A.M. tag and simply meant to describe it as bureavii (ovate leaf), calling it Ovate Form is another matter and certainly confuses us all needlessly.  I think it is the A.M. form.
johnw  

[johnw]

Last go after racing around the province with our guest speaker to private gardens.

At one garden a young plant perhaps the best species - R. insigne with its burnished undersides.  A treat all winter long.  I've had several selctions since 1995 and nary a flower bud but no complaints as it is simply the best all year long.  When it flowers it will be a very special ocassion.

The gardener and our speaker spent time chasing a wooly bear caterpillar and the former confessed to finding them in late December and bringing them into the garage for the winter,

johnw

[Ragged Robin]

Gorgeous leaves, John, a real library of Rhodo information, thanks so much

[johnw]

Gorgeous leaves, John, a real library of Rhodo information, thanks so much

Glad you enjoyed them Robin.

johnw

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

The Rhododendrons are starting up here.  Here's a couple of deciduous azaleas in flower at the moment.  Anyone have a name for the double white one?  I bought it without a name and have never found one.

Please click on the pics for a larger version.

[Paul T]

Hi everyone,

Rhododendron 'Taurus', a little more red than in this picture, but this is FAR better than my previous camera could ever represent it.  Being a Taurean starsign myself, I just had to have it.  This plant has quite a history in my garden now, having scared it into flowering after a number of years.  

Please click on the pic for a larger version.

[fermi de Sousa]

We don't grow rhodies at Redesdale but there were a few at last weekend's Ferny Creek Hort Society Show. Mostly vireyas these days, but maybe that's because of the early season.
The first is the Blue Ribbon entry from the cutflower section of the Rock Garden Section

cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

A few more from the Show.

cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Lovely!  Believe it or not I have a vireya rhodo growing in my garden here, outside under the eaves.  Remains to be seen whether it will ever flower or not, and survive if we get a cold winter of course!    I love the flowers and it would be lovely to succeed with it.  Have had it for years when I had a glasshouse.  I think the one that survives is my white flowered one, but will have to find that out if it ever flowers. 

Thanks for the pics.