Rhododendron... every garden should have some

[TC]

I hate to see the dead flowers hanging on the stems so I remove them.  The two exceptions are my 40 year old Yakushimanum and Ginny Gee.  Leaving the old flower stalks on does not seem to affect the next years flowers although it spoils the look of the plant.  My "sin" is to be let loose with the secateurs.  Any dead wood has to be removed.  Cindy has to restrain me when walking about gardens with cries of "leave it alone" as I test the Rhodie. branches for brittle dead wood.!

Although flowering of the Rhododendrons was poor, the new growth is shooting ahead due to the abundant rain and coolish temperature.  I can see a problem with this.  If we have a mild Autumn, then the plants will try to flower and get wiped out again by frosts later on.  With the others, the flower buds will be so far advanced that a couple of mild days will open them only to be zapped by the next cold spell.

With the change in our climate, the poor plants are getting very confused as am I - possibly age related.

I checked the nursery beds at Logan to see how the new introductions were doing.  The late heavy frosts and searing winds had set back several varieties.
However, the crassums were in full scent mode.  A beautiful perfume that gets down to the bottom of your lungs.  I can grow this plant putside but the blooms are always badly affected by frosts and cold winds.  However there was a new variety -to me -named excellens which had lovely waxy scented flowers.  Not hardy enough for my garden

[Maggi Young]

My goodness, doesn't  that crassum even look like it smells good!

I know what you mean about dead wood, Tom.  Removal can be a scratchy job on the little ones, though.
I get frustrated by the amount of dead wood that accumulates in Acers. Many of ours are too tall for me to get at them and it  bothers me  - a lot 
The wood pigeons and crows do their best to help me out by working through the trees, snapping off the twiggy bits for nesting, but they are not as thorough as I'd like. A case of pay peanuts, get bird brains, I reckon....

[angie]

Before and after  only got two done before the rain started 

Ang 

[zvone]

Hi!

Azalea...azalea... from My Garden!



More Pictures: http://zvonem.blogspot.si/news/

Best Regards!  zvone

[Roma]

The last Rhododendron to flower in my garden.  It brightens up the view from the sitting room window on these gloomy days we are having just now.

Rhododendron 'Lava Flow'

[johnw]

It's always nice to have a few late azaleas at this time of year.  All of these, just coming out, are under one foot tall, the first about 4 feet across.

1 a North Tisbury hybrid and a good-doer here 'Marilee', orangey salmon.
2 my own hybrid, hot pink and quite harsh
3 a rather gaudy pictooe, again my own hybrid
4 a very pale pastel, again my own hybrid



johnw - 28c

[Maggi Young]

I rather like the picotee.... I don't think I've seen one like it.
The last pale one is really pretty.   

[TC]

A picture of the last Rh. to flower - Rh. Hirsutum Floro plene.  We bought this at Cox's last year to have a late flowering variety.  It turned out to be a good idea as it had not produced flower buds until the late frosts had gone and sailed through unscathed.
Winsome was hit badly by the frost and only managed one flower, however, it has made up for this by an accelerated growth spurt.  The new stems have grown 6" already and has made me realise that the plant is much larger than I thought!  At this rate it will be coming in the back door.

[Mallotum]

Maggi.  Cindy is approx. your height.  This Rhododendron is the original introduction, or so I am led to believe.  It stands about 16 feet tall.
Last two pictures, I hope !!

Lovely photos!

[TC]

I was rather confused by this quote.  I had not noticed the date of the posting to which you were referring and was trying to find Cindy in my two pictures.
On this scale she would be about the size of a small garden gnome - or is that gnomess?
I will have to see if I can find the original post as I cannot remember where or when it was taken.

[Maggi Young]

I was rather confused by this quote.  I had not noticed the date of the posting to which you were referring and was trying to find Cindy in my two pictures.
On this scale she would be about the size of a small garden gnome - or is that gnomess?
I will have to see if I can find the original post as I cannot remember where or when it was taken.

Benmore in 2007, Tom.

 This post is the one with Cindy and the R. hookeri on page two of this thread...
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=10.msg7757#msg7757

[Hoy]

Time for leaves, not flowers! Rh bureavii is as good with new growth as it is when blooming!

15.8. and 29.5.

[Maggi Young]

I could not agree with you more! R. bureavii is one of my most favourite of all. 
I have two- one in the back garden and one on the front garden, right by my window here,  so I can always see it's fine shape and wonderful foliage.   The new shoots as they emerge, silvery and full of promise, and the transformation to the ginger indumentum, which so perfectly catches the sun and make the bush come alive with the warmth of fire, are just one of the greatest joys in the garden.

And to think that a panellist on a radio programme said, the other week, that "while she would not be without rhodos in the garden, after they have flowered they are pretty  boring" 
Honestly! I am not joking- It beggars belief.

I have hundreds of rhodos in my garden, and there are almost as many foliage forms as there are rhodos 

[Hoy]

I could not agree with you more! R. bureavii is one of my most favourite of all. 
I have two- one in the back garden and one on the front garden, right by my window here,  so I can always see it's fine shape and wonderful foliage.   The new shoots as they emerge, silvery and full of promise, and the transformation to the ginger indumentum, which so perfectly catches the sun and make the bush come alive with the warmth of fire, are just one of the greatest joys in the garden.

And to think that a panellist on a radio programme said, the other week, that "while she would not be without rhodos in the garden, after they have flowered they are pretty  boring" 
Honestly! I am not joking- It beggars belief.

I have hundreds of rhodos in my garden, and there are almost as many foliage forms as there are rhodos 

I suppose the panellist spoke about some of the modern hybrids. Although they often have very nice and diverse flowers the leaves are very similar.

Rh auriculatum does flower now! It isn't more than 6 trusses but they fill the garden nearby with a beautiful perfume Unfortunately the big leaves are damaged by strong wind last winter.

[Maggi Young]

I was beside myself with excitiemnt when my R. auriculatum flowered for the very first time last year......  at some 27 or so years old. I had hopes for another flower or two this year but I may be disappointed. No movement in what I hoped were flower buds.
The foliage always  gets damaged here because it is so very late into growth that there is always cold windy weather to rip the leaves. 


I will just look at your photos and dream of delicious scent!