Rhododendron 2021

[Claire Cockcroft]

My method is very similar to Maggi and Ian's article. I surface sow rhododendron seeds and other Ericaceae, as well as meconopsis, primula, and most campanulas.  I've been fairly successful with seeds, but often fail with growing on.  I can take notes from the article too!

[Claire Cockcroft]

Rhododendron hippophaeoides and Daphne 'Lawrence Crocker', both putting on a great show this year.

[Gail]

Nice looking daphne. Is the colour in your photo true? Looks a good purple, rather than pinkish?

[Leena]

I surface sow rhododendron seeds and other Ericaceae, as well as meconopsis, primula, and most campanulas.  I've been fairly successful with seeds, but often fail with growing on. 

I do the same, but use a mix of peat and perlite and surfice sow on it. Germination is not a problem, but also for me the most losses come with growing them on, and in future years with our winters.

[Claire Cockcroft]

Hello, Gail. The picture color is true.  I'd describe the color of my 'Lawrence Crocker' as mauve.

[johnw]

Old reliable R. primuliflorum in flower.  About 25 years old and suffered ther indignity of our bare-rooting at Glendoic in late March, includinmg a walkabout London in 70F temperature before flying homer to snow-covered ground.  Poor thing but it's now 5 feet across.

johnw in coastal Nova Scotia

[shelagh]

Lovely pictures everyone. My one big Rhodo and one Azalea just about to burst into flower.

[johnw]

Rhododendron strigillosum at a friend's yesterday. Do have a closer look st those bristles. 

A perfect spring for rhodos, wet and bone-chilling!

john
5c

[johnw]

Same friend but the Brodick form of R. praevernum. A massive plant covered in flowers for several weeks now.

john

[johnw]

And my favourite  - R. thomsonii.

The highlight of my visit to Anitra's garden yesterday was her Rhododendron thomsonii. A controlled pollination by the RSF, the seedlings were distributed by Briggs as an RSF fundaiser back when they were keen on rhodos,.  This is a very special seedlng, the shoots are purple as are the new leaves, when it flushes it is like a cloud of smoke and very hard to focus on it.  With flowers still hanging on it is quite the magical sight.  The year these were released our society had a few left over and Anitra asked me if I thought it would survive.  Well it did well for rme in southern Nova Scotia but I seriously doubted it would be hardy in her area and they were not cheap.  However I saw a canary in a goldmine here and quickly replied of course it will.  To my relief it survived along with my reputation which is battered quite enough.  The flowers, the bark - what more could one ask for?  What a species!  johnw   - 5c in cold rain & wind.

[johnw]

I received this photo of ’What A Dane’ from Jens Birck a few mornings ago, his creation in his Copenhagen garden this morning. It’s doing extremely well in southern Nova Scotia and soon will be tried here in Halifax. Never a speck of powdery mildew on it outdoors here. We had quite a few for sale this Spring but they went before the ink dried; we had hoped to have them in June for the upcoming ARS Convention but not a chance. In retrospect it's good they sold as the physical Convention has been switched to a zoom version. A fantastic hybrid that 'What A Dane' with real flower power, it never ceases to amaze me.
john

[TC]

Help required to I.D. this rhododendron.  It was purchased at the Scottish Rh. show at Garelochead about 5 years ago - without a label or name. I thought that it was a cinnabarinum variety but on flowering it is obviously not.  It is a "twiggy" upright variety reminding me of my Augustinii in habit.  It puts on about 20cms. growth a year and is now about 2 metres tall. It has survived heavy rain, frost and anything the weather can throw at it.  Apart from one miserable misshapen flower last year, this is the first time I have had a "show" although somewhat sparse in blooms.
The flowers are in pairs and about 4 cms. in size.  The plant looks as if it wants to be a tree which does not suit the space available.

Has anyone got an idea as to what it is?

[shelagh]

Here we are Rhodo Peeping Tom and our Azalea.

[johnw]

And a big day here with the 2nd flowering of the 2016 acquisition of a seedling R. platypodum.  A sensational species with round blue leaves and trusses of 13 very large icing sugar pink bell flowers.

3rd shot R. vellereum in full flower out on the cooler coast.

Of note Ken was at that coastal garden today working and found a R. yakushimanum seedling which appears to be true at only 2.5" tall. I can't say I've ever seen that before.

john

[Tristan_He]

'Winsome'.