Rhododendron - March 2008

[Maggi Young]

Very windy here all day and rain moving in now, too. 

[David Nicholson]

Very windy here all day and rain moving in now, too. 

Drizzle here (the sort that wets you through!), grey, cold, miserable and breezy. Worse to come for Easter and possibly a bit of snow on Sunday.

[Maggi Young]

I do hope that forecast has got it wrong  .... Dunblane (Stirling) Show on Saturday and then Ian is broadcasting live from our garden  into the Beechgrove Potting Shed radio programme on Sunday 
Not going to be much fun in a blizzard 

[ian mcenery]

Maggi my pacysanthum is nowhere near thank god - not many flowers anyway.

Luc the plant only has 3 flowers this year but when the new foliage comes I will post a photo to show the beauty of its new growth - it looks like a giant candelabra.


The met office forecast for Monday night gives -3 just enough to ruin the flowers and just when my Endsleigh Pink is coming into full flower.Hope I have enough fleece and  I hope the forecast is wrong

[Maggi Young]

To hell with the fleece, Ian, get out there with the duvet off your bed! Sometimes sacrifices just have to be made, y'know!

[ian mcenery]

Maggi Pam wouldn't stand for the duvet being used something about not being reasonable I think  so I used the fleece instead. Here is the proof and the flowers seem OK. I first saw this rhodo as a feature near the exit of Bodnat garden it was a specimen of 15 plus ft and covered in these pink flowers in late March and early april - a dangerous time for rhodos

[Maggi Young]

Great that your efforts have protected those pretty flowers. I took no such measures  and this is the price I've paid  .....
Some damage on some Rhododendron elegantulum flowers, but not on all, some are still half decent, bless 'em!
Rhododendron pachysanthum, in contrast, is utterly wrecked; buds full of promise will never open and the earliest flowers are ruined.... 
Little Rh. lapponicum parviflorum is made of sterner stuff and still looks good 

[ian mcenery]

Maggi very sad    I'm sure you had it colder than us because I'm not sure that my efforts made a lot of difference it didn't get down to the temperatures they forecast. Calophytum looks a little brown on top in spite of my efforts but it's not yet finished so maybe it was a little help. There are usually too many to cover up anyway  . But isn't it great when it works 

[Maggi Young]

It was only down to minus 6 degrees, Ian, so it could have been worse. Luckily most of the rhodos are going slowly this year so not too much damage to others in bud etc.

[Iturraran]

Maggi,

Love rhododendrons, and R. pachysanthum is one of my fav species. You have such a good taste! 

(BTW: our pachysanthum plant was sadly stolen and needs to be replaced  )

[Paddy Tobin]

Today I visited Kilmacurragh Arboretum in Co. Wicklow, Ireland, which is a satellite garden for the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin. Among the many interesting plants was the following Rhododendron arboreum subsp delavayi. Seed of this plant was collected in China by Abbe Delavayi and sent to Kew Gardens in London. From there seed was sent to Glasnevin Botanic Gardens which was one of the 'Royal' Botanic Gardens at that time. The seed was germinated and one plant was sent to Kilmacurragh, then home of the Acton family. This was done because the soil at Glasnevin is not suitable for growing rhododendrons and it was sent to the Acton family because they were great friends of the then Director of the Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin, Sir Frederick Moore. The plant thrived there and was the first plant of R. arboreum subsp delavayi to flower outside China. These photographs are of that original plant. Do remember that Abbe Delavayi sent his seed to Kew around 1884 so that you realise the age of the plant in question - yes, this is the original plant, the very first one to ever flower outside China. I was amazed to see it.

To anyone visiting Ireland with an interest in trees and rhododendrons I highly recommend a visit to Kilmacurragh. Today, I had the pleasure of the company of the Head Gardener, Seamus O Brien, for a three hour tour of the garden. It was almost a case of information overload but such wonderful information!

Paddy

The first few photographs show some necessary pruning done on the rhododendron after a beech tree fell on it some years back but, as you will see, it survives and it growing well.



Paddy

[Iturraran]

Paddy,

Such a privilege to see that very first plant!: looks very healthy and still going strong, despite that accident. Most interesting post and great pictures too. Many thanks!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Fascinating story Paddy - The Rhododendron is a very good looking elderly Lady ! 
Thanks very much for sharing it. 

[David Nicholson]

Interesting stuff Paddy, another gardenI must visit.

[Maggi Young]

Paddy, this is REAL Plant History: Wonderful!