Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Rhododendron and other Ericaceae => Topic started by: Thorkild Godsk on December 02, 2013, 08:48:27 AM
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Hello
I know that it is not Rhododendron time now, but 3 pictures anyway.
Rhododendron Yakushimanum
40 years
Rhododendron trichostomum
also 40 years
Kindly Thorkild
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Wonderful yakushimanum, Thorkild !
Also my favourite !!
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Mr. Godsk
I enjoyed your post and have been wanting to reply however my wife and I have been on vacation for the past 3 weeks. R. trichostomum is such a beautiful lepidote rhododendron. We can, with much effort, keep it alive and get it to bloom here in interior Northern California. Many of the dwarf lepidotes do not like our 32 to 40 C summertime temperatures so we have to be creative to get them to grow and look good.
We also enjoy the foliage, structure, bark, etc. of many rhododendrons throughout the seasons. Attached are photographs of R. luteum in fall color. Always excellent here. The other photograph is of a new R. edgeworthii hybrid that we have been watching as it progresses. This will be the first season for it to bloom. You can see the multiple buds on the terminal ends of the branches. It has nice foliage, a good compact habit, and most of all it is heat tolerant. It is definitely in our breeding trials and hopefully will be a keeper.
Robert
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Hello Robert.
Rhododendron trichostomum stands to the north, and it gets a lot of wind, we have more cool here. Azalea luteum has a lovely scent and is a good plante.2 large Rhododendron, which I think is good is Rhododendron Phyllis Korn and Rhododendron Gartendirektor Rieger.
1 photo: Azalea luteum
2 photo: Rh. Phyllis Korn
3 photo: Gartendiretor Rieger.
Kindly
Thorkild-DK
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Greetings Thorkild,
Your rhododendrons bud and bloom so heavily. They look so very nice! Your garden must be very beautiful and it is clear that you have been working with the plants for many years. I have to admit that 90% of the rhododendrons in our garden are of my own making or species I've grown from seed. I'm not at all familiar with R. 'Gartendiretor Rieger'. It seems like you get many flowers from it and it looks to be a compact plant too. Very nice! I've read about R. 'Phyllis Korn' for years but have never seen her myself. The foliage on your plant looks excellent and plenty of blossoms too.
Attached is a photograph of 'Karakal's Mr. Ruffles' one of my few elepidote hybrids. The photograph is a little out of focus, but he is a very good rhododendron for us. Good compact habit and very heat tolerant. Mr. Ruffles is also tolerant of the racoons that seem determined to walk over him rather than around him.
The next attachment one of my best selections of Rhododendron austrinum. We call it 'Karakal's Pascagoula' from the area in Mississippi where the seed was gathered. The fragrance in the spring is very sweet. Some springs the new growth is dark plum-purple red, however this seems dependent on the weather, the cooler the brighter the coloration. It's nice in the garden, now about 3 meters tall. I don't do much with these now, focusing my attention on a dwarf deciduous azalea project as well as heat tolerant dwarf lepidotes and cold hardy, heat tolerant, compact Maddenia hybrids.
Robert
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I find myself giving thanks that racoons are not something we have to contend with here.......
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Maggi,
Racoons are sweet creatures.....?! So are the wild birds. We have to cover all of our seed pans and liners of alpines, bulbs, etc. with bird netting and plastic deer fencing to keep the racoons and wild birds out and the plants safe. It doesn't look so good but it does work.
Right now our biggest issue is the drought. The driest weather in our short weather history going back to 1887. One newspaper report said that it hasn't been this dry for 125,000 years. My brother is a climate scientist. He says it hasn't reached that point yet. As a farmer I may not be planting crops this year.... maybe just trying to save our breeding projects, the orchard, and the ornamental garden. I survived the 1976-1977 drought years so maybe everything will turn out okay this time around. I've been wanting to retire from farming, but around here I've never meet a farmer that ever retired!
Robert
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Drought is not something we're having to worry about here, Robert :-X
I know what you mean about farmers not retiring - they just keep ploughing on............. ;)
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Our rhododendron blooming season will be starting soon. With the mild weather we have been having lately, I was thinking I might see color on the R. dauricum ' Midwinter'. Nothing showing yet.
In the mean time, I do enjoy the structure of some of our rhododendrons throughout the year. The photo is of R. auriculatum grown from seed started about 1985. I remember that it started blooming at 11 years of age. Every summer it blooms about the first week of July with its fragrant white flowers.
We are fortunate to have blooming rhododendrons, more or less continuously, from January(R. dauricum) to early September(R. viscosum serrulatum group). Fall-winter color last from October to January-February. We enjoy structure, foliage, bark, etc. all season. They are great plants for our garden even here in the hot interior of Northern California.
Robert
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I have to mention the sorry tale of my R. auriculatum, Robert - it's older than yours and only began to flower a couple of years ago - I thought I would die waiting! To be fair, the poor thing is not in a great position - and hearing seeing it look so well for you in all your heat, I begin to have more sympathy with it!
Here it flowers in August. I assume from your success that many rhodos are more tolerant of heat than I might have suspected. Quite a few suffer in warm dry weather even here.
Your first photo shows how well rhodos can combine to give structure to a view and highlight the fall colours around them so nicely. I think too few folks realise what variation in foliage and bark there is in rhodos and how attractive they really are.
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Maggi,
Yes, many rhododendrons dislike our dry heat. I try to be open minded and creative in my thinking. I'm constantly being surprised by what works. Growing from seed makes a huge difference. Brian Fagan's book 'The Little Ice Age' really got me thinking about how quickly plants have had to adjust to abrupt changes in climate. After all they can't walk away! Mr. Fagan's book 'The Long Summer' is excellent too.
I keep hoping our R. mallotum will bloom some day. It is the same age as our R. auriculatum. The foliage is great, however the poor plant is all twisted around from the snow load over the years. Another one of those things for me to be open minded about. This season R. calophytum will be blooming for the first time. Not so long a wait on this one. I don't think that it helped that a tree limb took most of the top out a number of years ago!
I'll be posting some photos of those surprise rhododendrons as I am able.
Robert
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Seeing the Rhododendron section , I thought it would be nice to post a photo of Rhododendron johnstoneanum. I found this on Khaiyang Phung 2850m in Manipur in 2012.
Very remote. And also Sorbus keenanii
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And the sorbus!
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Great photos, Paul. (though of course I find all rhodos to be endlessly photogenic!)
The leaves of the Sorbus almost look like a Mahonia at first glance- I smart thing. Did seed come back for the nursery?
Those hills in background could hardly squeeze in a single extra tree, if they tried could they? :o
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Paul
The R. johnstoneanum looks sweet!
Any other information about its environment? Was it terrestrial or epiphytic? It looks very deforested in the area.
Below is a photo of R. johnstoneanum x moupinense F1. It is cold hardy for us, however the flower buds are tender below -3 to -4 c. We grow it in a container to keep it safe from the cold. It's habit is nice and compact.
Robert
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It's habit is nice and compact.
Magic words - the opposite is true of so many plants with good flowers, isn't it?
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Maggi
I like growing Maddenia rhododendrons. What can I say, some can be so unruly. It's nice for me when something turns out... smaller, compact. :) The real issue is that I'm always running out of space for creative projects. Growing smaller plants seems to be the solution, but then sometimes I like that leggy 'Salvidor Dali' look.
Robert
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Super rhodos Uvularia but tell me a little more about the Sorbus. Is it a very dwarf - though large leaved - plant or have you picked a stem with fruit to photograph? The fruit and the leaf colour look amazing.
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Those of you who have not yet done so click on the link to Uvularia's website and under News look for 'No Whiteys Since Kingdon Ward'. You will find a most interesting account by Nick Macer of the expedition to Manipur with wonderful photographs.
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Rhododendron dauricum
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/12032236813_550343ebcb_o.jpg)
This is always the first Rhodo to flower in my garden and usually the blooms get frosted. Rh dauricum has little to recommend it other than flowering when almost nothing else does. This plant has become leggy as it is somewhat shaded.
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Our R. duaricum almost always get frosted too. I plant them here and there thoughout the garden so they create a purple haze when nothing much is blooming in the way of woody shrubs. Some have chocolate foliage in the winter that looks good against a golden back drop. This all works for me. :)
Right now, the R. dauricum finally have some color in the flower buds. Very strange since it has been 22 c or more during the day. This is record heat for us in January. Tuesday will be 45 consecutive days without rain or snow during the "rainy season" a new record, with no rain or snow in sight. Reminds me of Northern Europe in 1304.
Robert
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Rhododendron.
3 Rhododendron I think there are lovely:
1-2 Rd. Xanthocodon
3 Rd Cinnabarinum ssp cinnabarinum Roylei
4 Azalea Jack Brydon
Kindly
Thorkild-DK
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Wonderful, wonderful photos of gorgeous plants! Thank you!!
Here is one not very special rhodo, which I like for ist dark delicate leaves and early bloom: Rhododendron ponticum 'Graziella'
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Thorkild,
Beautiful rhododendrons. The cinnabarinums are so nice. Wish that they were easier for us to grow here, however I keep trying.
I look forward to more of your lovely photographs. :)
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No Rhodos in my garden, but I can always admire pictures.
Thank you Thorkild & Robert!
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Rhododendron cinnabarinum didn't survive our winter here in 2012-13. After looking into it a bit more, I discovered an unusual feature of the plant- it produces toxic nectar- it is apparently fine for insects, but honey made from it contains grayanotoxin- not good for humans.
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I believe that many rhodos - perhaps all - have this "toxic" nectar, Robert.
This has been long reported :
Xenophon in 401BC (Lampe, KF, 1988, J. Amer Med Assn 259: 2009):
'The number of bee hives was extraordinary, and all of the soldiers that ate of the honey combs lost their senses, vomited, and were affected with purging, and none of them was able to stand upright; such as had eaten only a little were like men greatly intoxicated, and such as had eaten much were like mad men and some like persons at the point of death. They lay upon the ground, in consequence, in great numbers, as if there had been a defeat; and there was general dejection. The next day, no one of them was found dead; and they recovered their senses .... '
and more recently: Abdulkadir Gunduz, Suleyman Turedi, Hukum Uzun, Murat Topbas Mad honey poisoning. Amer J Emergency Medicine (2006) 24: 595-598
"Grayanotoxin intoxication, which is mostly seen in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey, stems from the “mad honey” made by bees from the rhododendron plant flowers. In low doses, this causes dizziness, hypotension, and bradycardia, and in high doses, impaired consciousness, seizures, and atrioventricular block (AVB).
This case study was designed as a series of cases of patients (6 women, 2 men) aged between 35 and 75 years. All of the patients' physical examinations revealed hypotension; 4 patients had sinus bradycardia, 3 had nodal rhythm, and 1 had complete AVB. In all patients, except for the patient with AVB, heart rate and blood pressure returned to normal limits within 2 to 6 hours. Two patients were monitored in the coronary intensive care unit. Of these 2, 1 was discharged on the second day. The other was fitted with a temporary pacemaker and was discharged on the third day. All the other patients were kept in for a 6-hour observation period and were then discharged from the ED.
To date, 58 such cases have been reported, but we saw 8 patients within 2005. It is commonly seen in the east of the Black Sea region, although cases may occur from all over the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. So far, no cases of death have been reported, although grayanotoxin causes adverse effects on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and is therefore of considerable importance. "
Various isolated reports of people suffering from a reaction to rhodo honey can be found on the web - and the nectar can be harmful to bees as well it seems.
An Irish university was researching into this - but I have only found the introduction, not the finished papers : http://www.tcd.ie/Botany/research/stout/toxic%20nectar%20and%20pollen.php (http://www.tcd.ie/Botany/research/stout/toxic%20nectar%20and%20pollen.php)
Some info here : http://www.rhodyman.net/rhodytox.html (http://www.rhodyman.net/rhodytox.html)
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Thorkild - I don't think #3 is 'Roylei'. 'Roylei' has a more slender flower and quite red.
johnw
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Maggi,
I enjoyed some of the history of toxic honey. Some interesting books to look into. My wife and I go to the library once or twice a week. We have a fantastic library system so we rarely feel the need to buy a book. Thank you for sharing your research. :)
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I believe that many rhodos - perhaps all - have this "toxic" nectar, Robert.
Thank you, Maggi, that was most enlightening - didn't know that!
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Rhododendron cinnabarinum didn't survive our winter here in 2012-13. After looking into it a bit more, I discovered an unusual feature of the plant- it produces toxic nectar- it is apparently fine for insects, but honey made from it contains grayanotoxin- not good for humans.
Gordon - The rhodo expert David Leach once told me he was sittting on a bench under a cinnabarinum at one of the Scottish gardens taking notes. Some nectar dropped on his head and into his mouth &/or eye and he got terribly ill, his sight was impaired for hours. I think the culprit was cinnabarinum or augustinii, memory fails.
R. cinnabarinum is worth another try. The named forms do not do well but if you grow seed of two cinns crossed together you may have better luck. I have an orange one that has never missed a beat, my purple one here in Halifax for to 6-8ft but drought and inattention got it one summer.
In the near future our chapter may have 'What A Dane' for sale, it is a hardier cinn hybrid from the mighty sorcerer Jens Birck.
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Rhododendron dendricola flowering in research block at RBGE
Francis Kingdon-Ward collection from 1939 info via Alan Elliott and the RBGE
https://twitter.com/thebotanics
[attachimg=1]
and from the alpine house :
[attachimg=2]
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Maggi,
R. dendricola - gorgeous!
Thank you so much for sharing the photographs.
I have a few seed lines coming along of this species and can see that I have something good to look forward to.
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Winter has finally returned with some rain, cooler temperatures, and our normal frosty nights. The Rhododendron duaricum are getting frosted most nights so there is not much in the way of flowers this season.
The R. spinuliferum seedlings pictured below have had nice reddish foliage all winter. Stress and sunshine contribute to the color. I'll take beauty where ever I can find it.
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The seasons are changing and some of the rhododendrons are starting to break dormancy.
Rhododendron mucronulatum 'Cornell Pink' is easy-to-grow in our area.
The second photograph is a somewhat compact form of R. mucronulatum selected by Warren Berg. The flowers are a deeper color than the photograph indicates. Great scarlet red fall foliage in the autumn too!
The last two photographs are R. 'Purpur Latte' a hybrid of duaricum x the Warren Berg mucronulatum selection above. Good, deep colored flowers and long lasting fall foliage; first chocolate then scarlet-red. A compact grower. A very simple hybrid that gives us good results.
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Rhododendron
Hello Robert.
It's beautiful pictures of Rhododendron, it is to get in the spring mood. When you have very hot, I'm a little curious to know if you have Lilium and Trillium? If you have any what? As these also have my interest.
Sorry my English, I hope it is ok for yuo that I use Google Translate.
Kindly
Thorkild-DK
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Thorkild,
Thank you for the compliment. I do the best I can with photographs - my equipment is very old, so I do the best I can.
Right now the only trillium I grow is T. rivale. Trilliums, in general, grow well here and I hope to grow more in the future.
I've been growing and breeding lilies for many years and will have many photographs to share when the season arrives. I guess I could share some now as there are many already on the computer. I enjoy our native lilies. There are a number that grow near our farm.
I also grow things like Lilium mackiniae and various Nomocharis. They do not like the heat - yours look so much better. ;)
Erythronium is another big one for us. Most do well and some are native locally.
Don't worry about your English. I was born in the USA and my English is terrible. :-\
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Rhododendron traillianum.
It has a little story. JC Birck was here once with plants to me, he should travel to China on Rhododendron expedition. From one of his trips to China, he sent a bag Rd traillianum seeds, it is approx. 25 years ago. Here's Rhododendron traillianum from Birck.
Thorkild-DK
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Rhododendron traillianum.
It has a little story. JC Birck was here once with plants to me, he should travel to China on Rhododendron expedition. From one of his trips to China, he sent a bag Rd traillianum seeds, it is approx. 25 years ago. Here's Rhododendron traillianum from Birck.
Thorkild-DK
A fine plant - a silver ghost!
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Oh my those are fine traillianum leaves Thorkild.
johnw
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Rhododendron
Hello Robert.
When you have very hot, I'm a little curious to know if you have Lilium and Trillium? If you have any what? As these also have my interest.
Kindly
Thorkild-DK
Thorkild,
I'm very interested in the lilies you grow! Maybe a new post under "Bulbs General"? There are many other lily species in our garden other than our west coast species.
Locally we have Trillium angustipetalum and T. albidum. They are not common in our area but I do see them. I've never grown Trillium albidum, however T. angustipetalum has done well for us. Now it is no longer in the garden and hopefully I can find seed again.
A minimum of 500,000 acres of farmland will be out of production this season in California. Our farm is part of the 500,000. I may need to travel out of town to find work this season. If you do not here from me, know that I am very interested in your lilies and rhododendrons.
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quote author=Maggi Young link=topic=11107.msg292412#msg292412 date=1390915006
I believe that many rhodos - perhaps all - have this "toxic" nectar, Robert.
I have always been told that the nectar is not toxic only to bumblebees, and normally the 'real' bee does not visit Rhododendron flowers. Which is in line with my observations since childhood (we had wonderful big Rhodo's in the garden of the first house where I lived and I have 2 nice ones in my garden now). But apparently bees do make exceptions sometimes.
Similarly the nectar or pollen from Nerium Oleander is also said to be toxic to any animal except bumblebees. In fact the whole plant is said to be extremely toxic. There is a story of soldiers of Napoleon that had used branches of Nerium Oleander to make skewers and they died of this last meal.
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Similarly the nectar or pollen from Nerium Oleander is also said to be toxic to any animal except bumblebees. In fact the whole plant is said to be extremely toxic. There is a story of soldiers of Napoleon that had used branches of Nerium Oleander to make skewers and they died of this last meal.
Francosi - The same thing happened to a group of teenagers in California cooking hotdogs at a beach party, maybe as long ago as the 70's.
Snowdrops are said to cause a nasty type of madness in collectors of same.
johnw
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The rhododendron blooming season has started in the Sacramento Valley of California. All the photographs are of Rhododendrons grown at our Sacramento Valley home. Very hot and dry during the summer. 38-40 C during the summer is common.
The R. mucronulatum is from the Rhododendron Species Foundation and the last of the mucronulatum types this season.
The R. pubescens is "tough as nails". The take our hot summers with once a week watering. Never burns! Always blooms nicely and looks good.
R. scabrifolium var. spiciferum is another tough Rhododendron. The original plant has survived at our farm for over 35 years - several droughts in its life time. It still looks great. Up the hill the blooming season starts about 3-4 weeks later - most of the time.
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Robert - Lovely rhodos there. The semi-double mucronulatum is a good solid colour reminiscent of 'Mahogony Red' or at least what it's supposed to look like.
Good to see spiciferum. We grow two Glendoick hybrids of it with kieskei - Waxbill & Wheatear, they told us the would be very tender but they soldier on and are very early flowering.
johnw
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John,
Thanks for the compliment. We also grow R. mucronulatum 'Mahogany Red'. For us it has an unruly growth habit and the color is "muddy". Maybe it is our climate or maybe the location of the plant.
I've used spiciferum in some hybrids. They will be blooming soon so hopefully I will be able to post photographs. They bloom heavily and are heat tolerant - too young to evaluate beyond this.
Good to hear that the Glendoick spiciferum hybrids do well for you. Very early flowering - do the flowers get frosted often? A problem with our early bloomers up the hill at the farm.
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Robert - I agree Mahogany Red is a dog, rangy and the colour can be atrocious. Of course the colour was marketed as if it would be like your semi.
The spicerum hybrids do flower perilously early with R. forestii Repens and things like 'Airy Fairy' and have seed them zapped in a late frost on a few ocassions.
I look forward to seeing your spiciferum hybrids. I put spinuliferum pollen (a really good red form from Barry Starling) on mucronulatum v. taguetii (aka Cheju) and got very clear vibrant pinks but not the flower shape (at least so far) that I had hoped for.
johnw - beastly cold here today.
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John,
Yea! The spinuliferum x Dwarf mucronulatum sounds good. Are the plants dwarf?
I've been used inbred lines of dwarf racemosum on spinuliferum. The dwarf racemosum is a poly-gene dwarf. Some of the inbred lines appear to behave like single gene dominate dwarfs (more testing is needed) and appear to pass the dwarf trait on to the progeny. This is from S1 (1 generation self) plants. I'm still progeny testing all the S1 lines and have started the S2 lines. I hope to have good photographs of these and some other interesting hybrids soon.
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Rhododendron hemitrichotum is relatively new to us. We kept 3 plants from this seed accession; the first clone blooming now. It appear that this species will be extremely heat tolerant much as the other scabrifolia types are; the usual flush pink flowers, however the late blooming clone has the deepest pink coloration.
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We have grown the Rhododendron spinuliferum hybrid for about 15 years now. Some years back in completely dried-out from drought and was thought to be dead. With water it came back to life and now stands about 75cm tall. It has good foliage, its very drought tolerant :), and takes the heat very well, however the flowers need improvement. It fertile both ways, a plus as a breeder.
'Lhotse' is a racemosum x polycladum hybrid. This was our first hybrid that got me thinking about dwarf, heat tolerant, easy-to-grow dwarf lepidotes for our climate. It will grow in ordinary garden soil without special effort, is dwarf (about 30cm tall), and very heat tolerant. We use it mainly as a breeder. We hope to have photographs of its offspring soon.
'Purple Cow' is another breeder, a racemosum x mucronulatum hybrid. It is very dwarf (about 30cm tall), compact, and produces masses of flowers. Like most F1 evergreen x deciduous hybrids it is semi-evergreen, not ideal at all, but a good breeder too. 'Purple Cow' has some good offspring too. They will be blooming soon too. :)
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First of the season for me. R moupinense pink form
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Ian,
Beautiful pink moupinense! We struggle with the whites from the RSF, but do get a few flowers. We have some seedlings coming on, maybe they will be happier.
First rhododendron to bloom for you this season? I look forward to more photographs as the season progresses.
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John,
Yea! The spinuliferum x Dwarf mucronulatum sounds good. Are the plants dwarf?
I've been used inbred lines of dwarf racemosum on spinuliferum. The dwarf racemosum is a poly-gene dwarf. Some of the inbred lines appear to behave like single gene dominate dwarfs (more testing is needed) and appear to pass the dwarf trait on to the progeny. This is from S1 (1 generation self) plants. I'm still progeny testing all the S1 lines and have started the S2 lines. I hope to have good photographs of these and some other interesting hybrids soon.
Apparently a flowering Cheju x spin was found in the cold storage this afternoon. I'll photograph it in the morning.
johnw
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Apparently a flowering Cheju x spin was found in the cold storage this afternoon. I'll photograph it in the morning.
johnw
This sounds suspiciously like plant abuse, John......... ( not the photography part!)
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This sounds suspiciously like plant abuse, John......... ( not the photography part!)
Abuse would be to have it outdoors this morning at -14c.....................I am no rush to out to photograph it. ;)
johnw
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Abuse would be to have it outdoors this morning at -14c.....................I am no rush to out to photograph it. ;)
johnw
We could have used a little bit of that cold this winter. Not too much mind you. -14c would be abuse for us too. We wouldn't have anything to photograph at -14 except frozen plants and ice.
We are getting rain. 25cm in February and it is still raining. Maybe our drought will end. ;)
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You may have a point there, John - I admit it.
Robert - I sincerely hope that your drought will break.
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Ian,
Beautiful pink moupinense! We struggle with the whites from the RSF, but do get a few flowers. We have some seedlings coming on, maybe they will be happier.
First rhododendron to bloom for you this season? I look forward to more photographs as the season progresses.
Thank you Robert it's flowers last quite well most years as long as the frosts are mild
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Ian,
Our location here in California is less than ideal for rhododendrons. 38C during the summer and our location, it is a frost pocket, makes it a challenge. I appreciate hearing the experiences of other gardeners and how there rhododendrons grow for them. Thank you for posting the photograph. :D
The maddenia type (johnstoneanum x moupinense) hybrid is flower bud tender, even at our Sacramento Valley home, where the winters are mild. The plant itself is cold hard for us, however we rarely get flowers in the open garden. I keep one in a container and enjoy the flowers every spring.
The last three photographs are a hybrid of a rhododendron we call 'Purple Cow' crossed with R. edgeworhtii. I made the cross thinking that it would be a breeder however it is looking pretty good to me. I've been waiting for the flower buds to open and it looks like it will be any day now. :)
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Robert - I sincerely hope that your drought will break.
Maggi,
I know the UK has endured almost unending rain this winter with flooding, property damage, and too much suffering. It is such a blessing that we are getting raining now. We are at 40% of average now; we were at 10% at the end of January. Our rain totals now are at the levels of 1976 and 1977 the worst drought in our history. At the end of January the situation was extremely grim. I never thought that it could be a blessing to be at the 1976-1977 rainfall levels. :)
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It is the time of year where there is now something new blooming almost every day.
Maybe I've been crowing about our new Rhododendron edgeworthii hybrid?! :-\ Now the flowers are opening - and at least I am pleased. :) Maybe not much for the rhododendron world, but it works for us; where rhododendrons in general do not thrive.
This R. Lhotse S1 inbred line has a good deep color and it is very compact - 25cm or so. Hopefully it will be a good breeder with good fixed traits.
R. racemosum is a "work horse" in our breeding endeavours. These are from R&N175. We've grown many different seed lots of R. racemosum over the years. Superficially, all our various accessions seem the same, however when looked at closely there is considerable variance in heat tolerance, leaf color, growth habit, etc. With the wild seed lots - it gets me thinking about what is going on out there.
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Smashing results Robert. Do you have any guesses as to the possible parent with edgeworthii? Did you use the dark pink Glendoick form of edgeworthii? I would never have guessed such a stunning flower could come from racemosum! Keep them coming.
Here's one that surprised me to death. Despite the complex parentage it looks quite like edgeworthii itself. The sibling is similar. Edgeworthii itself is attached for comparison.
johnw
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Won a small plant of Rhododendron praecox last night in the raffle at our local AGS Group meeting. What sort of size is it likely to grow to please?
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Nice raffle prize!
It can eventually get to around 1.5m (5ft) David- but it doesn't get there at any speed - so you needn't worry too much about where you site it from the size point of view. A spot where it doesn't catch the early sun is best to protect it a bit from the chance of frost on the flowers. In a fairly open situation it will keep a better, neater shape.
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Cheers Maggi, best in acid soil or could I risk it in my neutral stuff?
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No harm in bunging in some ericaceous compost when you plant it, David if you can be bothered and are feeling flush. It won't mind too much if it has to live with neutral soil I don't think.
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John, your edgeworthii hybrid looks simply amazing! You've made all the edgeworthii/Maddenia fans from colder climates giddy by posting its photos (it should be much hardier than edgeworthii itself, ain't it?). Hope it will somehow make its way over the pond (maybe through Glendoick?).
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Hi David
I posted a picture of my R. praecox in the 'March 2014 in the Northern hemisphere' thread on 3rd March. It is thirty years old and just over 4 feet tall. So as Maggi said it doesn't grow at any speed. My mistake was that other shrubs grew and competed with it over the years. It does not get early sunshine and the flowers have survived a couple of mild frosts this year with no problems. It was hit by a late hard frost a couple of years ago, but so were my other rhododenrons that had just come into flower.
It is my favourite shrub. You won a very nice prize.
Bob
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Smashing results Robert. Do you have any guesses at the possible other parent with edgeworthii? Did you use the dark pink Glendoick form of edgeworthii? I would never have guessed such a stunning flower could come from racemosum! Keep them coming.
Here's one that surprised me to death. Despite the complex parentage it looks quite like edgeworthii itself. The sibling is similar. Edgeworthii itself is attached for comparison.
johnw
John,
The parentage of the Rhododendron edgeworthii hybrid is (racemosum S1 x mucronulatum) x edgeworthii. All the parents originate from our own garden seedlings, except the R. mucronulatum. It is from Warren Berg. I never met him so it came from a round-about way, like about everything in our garden. (racemosum S1 x mucronulatum) is a plant we call "Purple Cow". It is very compact, somewhere about 25-30cm tall, maybe a little wider. It blooms like crazy every spring - however it is semi-evergreen so much of the season it does not look so good (mostly wintertime). It is a good breeder.
I grow all the R. edgeworthii seed lots I can acquire, both domestic and wild seed. We now have much to choose from; some have good flush pink flowers.
I really like your dendrocharis, edgeworthii hybrid! ;). Are the plants of blooming age yet? Sometimes edgeworthii come through as parent for us distinctly or sometimes less so. I will very much want to know how they turn out for you. Cold hardiness too.
We are working the dendrocharis angle too. Some hybrids will be blooming soon so hopefully I will have photographs. Other seedlings are still small but very interesting.
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Hi David
I posted a picture of my R. praecox in the 'March 2014 in the Northern hemisphere' thread on 3rd March. It is thirty years old and just over 4 feet tall. So as Maggi said it doesn't grow at any speed. My mistake was that other shrubs grew and competed with it over the years. It does not get early sunshine and the flowers have survived a couple of mild frosts this year with no problems. It was hit by a late hard frost a couple of years ago, but so were my other rhododenrons that had just come into flower.
It is my favourite shrub. You won a very nice prize.
Bob
Thanks for drawing my attention to this Bob. Thanks too Maggi.
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Smashing results Robert. Do you have any guesses at the possible other parent with edgeworthii? Did you use the dark pink Glendoick form of edgeworthii? I would never have guessed such a stunning flower could come from racemosum! Keep them coming.
johnw
Thank you for the compliment John.
These are the last of the photographs of our Purple Cow x edgeworthii hybrid. Many of the flowers have now been prepared for cross pollination.
Few few observations about this hybrid:
>The multiple buds on the terminal stems seem to come from R. racemosum.
>The pink coloration from mucronulatum, and maybe a degree of cold hardiness (hardy to -6C this winter, probably much more).
>The flower size and shape, as well a foliage from R. edgeworthii.
See the previous post for more information on this hybrid. :)
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Rhododendron 'Rosa's First Kiss' is about 15 years old now. I've had time to share some with others in our area and she seems well liked, as she is very heat tolerant, easy-to-grow, and has good foliage. The parents are racemosum Forrest19404 x lutescens 'Bagshot Sands'. I have grown Forrest19404 for 35, almost 40 years now and it has always been very dwarf and compact. Using this dwarf form, my thinking was that 'Rosa' would be dwarf. Well.... 'Rosa' is a little over 1 meter tall: I was hoping for 25-30cm.
By inbreeding Forrest19404, I discovered that our plant is a poly-gene dwarf, the offspring being many different heights, with some other hidden recessives traits too. Using a fixed gene inbred we are now close to having 'Rosalita' the dwarf we originally wanted.
R. racemosum x dendrocharis is dwarf, about 25cm tall x 30cm wide and has good flowers. I am using it mainly as a breeder as I am not pleased with the foliage. Right now I have 3 inbred lines I'm working on as well as some out crosses at various stages of development.
The last photograph is lutescens x scabrifolium var. spiciferum. I kept two plants from the cross, one pink, the other cream. I was never impressed with them so they grew where I planted them and went largely unnoticed. A few years ago I decided to inbreed them. The young plants are very interesting - I can wait til they bloom. ;)
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Very nice indeed Robert.
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Robert - The lutescens x
dendrocharis scabrfolium v. spiciferum is a remarkable colour. Do the flowers have a white exterior base as so many dendrocharis hybrids do?
johnw
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Very nice indeed Robert.
David,
Thank you for the compliment. Maybe as breeders we are always striving for better. We are back to dry , warm weather and everything is coming into rapid growth and flowering. Typical springtime. :)
R. spinuliferum in bloom. I checked my records and most of the rhododendrons are 2 weeks ahead of average.
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Robert - The lutescens x dendrocharis is a remarkable colour. Do the flowers have a white exterior base as so many dendrocharis hybrids do?
johnw
John,
The last photograph listed is lutescens x scabrifolium var. spiciferum. I regret the confusion. I agree, it was not a color I was expecting. For me, this color has mostly turned up in spinuliferum hybrids.
As for your question about the white exterior base of many dendrocharis hybrids .... Right now I have not grown, and bloomed enough R. dendrocharis hybrids to come to any conclusions. All the bloomers are pink species x dendrocharis. Dendrocharis crossed with plants of yellow or orange pigmentation are not of blooming age yet. I will do my best to pay attention when their time comes.
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John, your edgeworthii hybrid looks simply amazing! You've made all the edgeworthii/Maddenia fans from colder climates giddy by posting its photos (it should be much hardier than edgeworthii itself, ain't it?). Hope it will somehow make its way over the pond (maybe through Glendoick?).
Tomasz - The edgeworthii hybrid seedlings are being propagated out west for the RSBG. It will be a few years before they list and no doubt it will make its way to Glendoick.
johnw
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My mistake Robert, I didn't read carefully enough as I was so stunned by the colour of that lut x spic.
Here are a few selections of my mucronulatum v. taguetii 'Cheju' x spinuliferum Starling. The pollen parent is a remarkable red one from David's neck of the woods up in Drewsteignton. The seedlings were in 2 gallon pots in 9 months from seed and budded. The first bloomed last year, the other 4 pix are from the cold pitch dark storage barn just last weekened so I fully expect the colour to be very much stronger if they survive outdoors. I wanted to back-cross these with the same spin but I don't think we have the hardiness elbow room with spinuliferum.
Lastly a myrtifolium x spinuliferum hybrid in Japan and Glendoick's dendrocharis x spinuliferum - note those white bases.
johnw
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Lastly a myrtifolium x spinuliferum hybrid in Japan and Glendoick's dendrocharis x spinuliferum (hopeless for here) - note those white bases though.
The myrtifolium is a bizarre choice but when you think it through it was the perfect choice with such short pedicels the flower stand up erectly.
johnw
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John,
Thank you so much for the photographs. The myrtifolium x spinuliferum hybrid looks very impressive! The Japanese always grow their plants to perfection. However, all the photographs are inspiring.
There must have been some warmer weather for you. Most of the NE continent has been so cold this winter.
Our limiting factor is the summer heat. There are so many beautiful rhododendrons that we can not grow here.
I will check our blooming dendrocharis hybrids for the white bases. Thanks!
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Robert - I meant the spinuliferum seems to produce white based flowers in great numbers.
R. dendrocharis seems to be a very good parent. It always seems to give fine foliage. Here's one of my 'Cheju' x dendrocharis.
johnw
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Robert - I meant the spinuliferum seems to produce white based flowers in great numbers.
R. dendrocharis seems to be a very good parent. It always seems to give fine foliage. Here's one of my 'Cheju' x dendrocharis.
johnw
John,
Thanks! I'll check our spinuliferum hybrids.
I have one clone of R. dendrocharis. It blooms consistently every season, however I can tell it is not completely happy with our summer heat. It has been a good pollen parent for us, but a very poor seed parent. If I had a heterozygous group of seedlings to work off, I'm sure I would have better results.
R. dendrocharis as a parent gives us good results, as per compact, bushy plants (there will be photos in a few days). So far our hybrids have had poor foliage. I will keep trying to work through this issue.
One open question: Is R. spinuliferum Starling truly red? I have to admit that I am skeptical. In lepidote Rhododendrons I've noticed a clear linkage in the pigmentation sequence. It appears to me that the locus associated with cyanidin / pelargonidin and their copiments are very closely linked to the delphinidin loci. i.e. I have never seen clear true red pigmentation; I've always seen some blue background pigmentation. During the growing season I always need to stay close to the farm, so I don't get around much. Maybe someone can help me out with this one, are there really true red lepidote Rhododendrons out there? ???
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Rhododendron 'Ptarmigan' and Rhododendron ochraceum.
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Robert - I can't tell you red Barry S.'s sopinuliferum is but he is one of the five best rhododendron eyes in the UK so that's enough for me.
Glendoick was working on red lepidotes years ago and at that time told me leaf-spotting seemed to be linked to red. They are likely to have made great headway since those bygone days.
Here are a couple of tantalizngly close-to-red hybrids from Japan again, very far out crosses. The foliage looks remarkably clean.
Scarlet Wonder x dauricum
Carmen x dauricum or the reverse
johnw
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John - Good to see Ptarmigan again, it a classy little thing.
How big are the ochraceum trusses? I saw one of the very first trusses to flower in the west circa 2000 at Glendoick. The truss was quite small but ever so red; it was in a greenhouse and in a pot.
johnw
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How big are the ochraceum trusses? I saw one of the very first trusses to flower in the west circa 2000 at Glendoick. The truss was quite small but ever so red; it was in a greenhouse and in a pot.
johnw
Mine came from Glendoick. It is outside, in a pot but only because I don't have the right soil. The trusses are 8/9 cm across; not huge but very red.
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John - That's not a bad size on the ochraceum. The Glendoick one I saw was a very young seedling and the truss was about 5-6cm, really quite unfair to assume anything at that size but the colour was great.
johnw
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Anyone like to tell me or speculate on what this dwarf Rhododendron is?
It probably shouldn't be flowering for another month or two, but it is.
In Early February I visited my local Wilkinsons (Wilko) store. For those who don't know the British High Street, this is a chain of Hardware stores operating very much at the Budget end of the market. Our local store is in a larger shopping centre, and gets no daylight and in February the temperature was distinctly warm. In the middle of the store among miscellaneous gardening paraphernalia was a collection of dwarf Rhododendrons and Azaleas. The peat soil was dry as a bone, some were labelled and some were not, some were already starting to flower. The labels suggested a good selection of varieties - such as you might hope for in a specialist outlet.
I wondered whether I should report them to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Plants; instead I chose to liberate a couple, and take them home for a programme of rehydration and hardening off.
One plant I bought was of Wren; this was already starting to open, the first few flowers opened well, but the remainder opened with the petals brown, presumably as a result of Dehydration. Still, hopefully I will keep the plant alive and enjoy the flowers another year.
The other plant was only with flower buds, but I was attracted by the small leaves and the growth form; I seem to have got to this one in time because it is now giving an excellent display of flowers; these are pictured below. Any ideas of an ID?
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Peter,
Beautiful find! - and at a chain store if I understand correctly. I'm glad that they have found a good home! ;)
Hopefully someone with much more skill than I can ID them for you. Beautiful Rhododendrons and a great save!
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Robert - I can't tell you red Barry S.'s sopinuliferum is but he is one of the five best rhododendron eyes in the UK so that's enough for me.
Glendoick was working on red lepidotes years ago and at that time told me leaf-spotting seemed to be linked to red. They are likely to have made great headway since those bygone days.
Here are a couple of tantalizngly close-to-red hybrids from Japan again, very far out crosses. The foliage looks remarkably clean.
Scarlet Wonder x dauricum
Carmen x dauricum or the reverse
johnw
John,
Thanks for the feedback!
I'm glad to see that the Japanese are crossing the lepidote - elepidote boundary.
Thanks for sharing this information. In the Rhododendron world I might as well be on an island in the middle of the South Pacific. Maybe this is all old stuff for you, but it is new to me. Thanks!
The possible linkage to leaf spot in my world is not bad news. It is a very long shot, but now crossover resistance is a least possible. If things are set up correctly it should be possible to spot that sort of crossover. It is like a supernova - you can't make it happen but you want to be there when it does! ;)
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Peter - A nice find in an unlikely place. A shot in the dark - prostratum or calostrotum Keleticum Group Rock #58, probably the later as I recall prostratum are downward pointing branchlets.. These species in the Saluenensia are devils to get right. The taxonomists have scared off gardeners from wading into the i.d. quagmire. Maggi - do wade in, I'm up to my neck........
johnw
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Rhododendron.
Rhododendron Sutchuenense x giraldii, began to flourish 7 March.
Thorkild-DK
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Peter - A nice find in an unlikely place. A shot in the dark - prostratum or calostrotum Keleticum Group Rock #58, probably the later as I recall prostratum are downward pointing branchlets.. These species in the Saluenensia are devils to get right. The taxonomists have scared off gardeners from wading into the i.d. quagmire. Maggi - do wade in, I'm up to my neck........
johnw
Crikey, John, I'm an amateur :-\
It's a little cracker, Peter - but I'm not sure quite where I'd place it - it's a better form than many of the Keleticum types around here, that's for sure.
Looking again at Peter's pictures - and what good, 'full' flowers they are - I don't think I see any hairs on the calyx or flower so prostratum is a good enough name for me.
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A cultivar from New Zealand, Rhododendron 'Kaponga'
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Crikey, John, I'm an amateur :-\
It's a little cracker, Peter - but I'm not sure quite where I'd place it - it's a better form than many of the Keleticum types around here, that's for sure.
Looking again at Peter's pictures - and what good, 'full' flowers they are - I don't think I see any hairs on the calyx or flower so prostratum is a good enough name for me.
Given where it was found, isn't it likely to be a cultivar, possibly named after a bird? Or is impeditum out of the question?
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Certain it is not impeditum.
Yes, a cultivar is likely but not sure ( - it is sometimes extraordinary what can turn up in the way of species of any plant at unlikely places!) so a start must be made on parentage and prostratum seems a good candidate.
I'm not aware of a Glendoick bird-named hybrid that looks quite like this one of Peter's - but I'm happy to learn otherwise.
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Anyone like to tell me or speculate on what this dwarf Rhododendron is?
Peter your plant looks like R calostrotum 'Gigha', an early flowerer with me.
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Peter your plant looks like R calostrotum 'Gigha', an early flowerer with me.
Ah, an island, not a bird!
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Peter your plant looks like R calostrotum 'Gigha', an early flowerer with me.
I considered that Diane - but I don't think it's "right" - have to go out now, will explain why later if need be! I don't think it is 'Wigeon', either.
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John, Maggi, Ralph, Diane - Thanks for all your help; They did have a plant there labelled impeditum with similar small leaves - but I have grown it before and the flowers don't look at all the same to me. Remember because of the treatment it is probably flowering early. (Wren, subject to the same treatment, flowered a month ago.)
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Rhododendron.
Rhododendron Sutchuenense x giraldii, began to flourish 7 March.
Thorkild-DK
Thorkild,
Nice photograph. The garden must be starting to wake-up from its winter rest. Very beautiful. Look forward to seeing more!
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Why I don't think it is 'Gigha' - foliage is too green. Flowers seem truly pinkish, without the red tone that 'Gigha' has. The stamens are pale on Peter's plant and 'Gigha' stamens are quite deeply coloured along their length.
Why I don't think it is 'Wigeon' - it's just not!!! ;D
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Diane - I have to agree with Maggi. Gigha has rosy pink flowers quite like no other and blue foliage. Widgeon gets big and the leaves are bigger than those shown as it is a carolinianum hybrid. Mine is now about .5m x 1m. wide.
Peter - You might wander through here:
http://glendoick.com/onlinecat/index.php?page=onlinecat&listplants=Rhododendron_Dwarf_Species+&offset=0 (http://glendoick.com/onlinecat/index.php?page=onlinecat&listplants=Rhododendron_Dwarf_Species+&offset=0)
Heh, Galanthus nivalis 'Anglesey Abbery and plcatus 'Upcher' are about to open here!
johnw
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Nice to see R. 'Kaponga' here on the Forum. It's quite old now but still a very good red, at least in NZ conditions and bred by the late Bernie Hollard, a great Rhodo man and also known locally for a wonderful gold-leaved Acanthus, 'Hollard's Gold.' Kaponga is a small town on the North Island's west coast, and was also, I think the name of Bernie's garden. I only went there once but remember a wonderful collection of choice plants.
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Thanks for the info, Lesley. Plants are wonderful, but even more so when you know the full story!
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Rhododendron lutescens x scabrifolium v. spiciferum F1.
I'm running two lines on this cross, the other plant is pink. The plants are coming along nice - maybe flower buds this fall. Other than that the usual recombination mess. Who knows maybe I'll get lucky and something good will show up.
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We went to Benmore yesterday for a member's talk on the National Trees Collections of Scotland. I was somewhat surprised at the number of "champion" trees we have here especially in relation to the size of the country. Again, when you think of Douglas, Menzies et al, I shouldn't be.
It was also a chance to see the first flowering of the Rhododendrons. The weather was very misty with curtains of cloud down to the 100 metre mark giving the hillside a Himalayan appearance. From a look round, the main flowering should be in about early April....late frosts excepted.
Some general impressions of what is in flower.
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continued
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Last 5
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A treat to see so much in flower from Benmore, Tom. Thanks.
I know that size isn't everything - but the flowers on R. grande are more than a little fabulous, aren't they?
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Funnily enough I was just looking this morning at trying to plan a visit to Benmore. Unfortunately I'll probably miss the Rhodo display as I'll not get there until the summer, but sure there'll be lots more to see then.
I agree with Maggi re the R.grande. It's my favourite, not for size but sheer beauty, those gorgeous leaves, sculptural buds and delicate colour. If only I could grow it here :(
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Lovely display Tom, thanks for posting.
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Early June can still have some Rh. in flower, especially the cinnabarinums. The Grande series have stunning flower trusses and leaves, The really good specimen plants will be out in about 3 weeks.
The pictures as posted do not do the plants justice and are only record shots being constrained to the 640 x 480 format when reduced from 3600 x 2700.
This results is that the plants look "bitty" with the flowers reduced to coloured blobs.
Anyway, Rh. cilpinense has survived minor frosts and flowered properly for the first time in 4 years. Three hearty huzzahs !
Pictures attached.
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Thanks for all the photos Tom. The close-up of cilpinense is very nice.
The R. pocophorum aff. was grown from seed, started in 1986. I think what is remarkable about this rhododendron is that it does so well in our climate. Most Rhododendrons from subsection Neriflora die or survive and suffer with the summer heat. This plant does extremely well, even at our home in the hot, hot, Sacramento Valley. It's foliage looks good all season too. :)
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Tom - Thanks so much for your dedication over the years, always a great report from Benmore and the west. That grande is stunning as are the others. Always fun taking rhodo pix considering their affinity for steep slippery terrain.
johnw
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A few from me
The first two my own macabeanum in flower. The next shot shows the magnificent plant at Trewithen just coming in to flower last week. The colour and the amount of flower make the Trewithen form probably the best. Alas mine is only a seedling but I think from this plant
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Nice Macabeanum!
Mine was reduced to the ground by the severe winter three years ago but has produced some (weak) new growth from the base. My garden is a little too windy for it to grow well.
Rhododendron lutescens
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3753/13197874045_0fa4e3dbfc_o.jpg)
Rhododendron rex ssp. fictolacteum
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3723/13165740904_fa8ab0c9f1_o.jpg)
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Nice Macabeanum!
Mine was reduced to the ground by the severe winter three years ago but has produced some (weak) new growth from the base. My garden is a little too windy for it to grow well.
[
Hi Steve mine was devastated also and lost all its leaves and was pruned back selectively but has managed to come back to this
Here is recurvoides spinuliferum also from Trewithen. I have a plant but it is not happy here
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Ian I think you meant to say spinuliferum not recurvoides. Your mac has a sensational blotch and that Trewithen form a faultlessly formed truss, what a superb species. Maybe there's even hope for one here with the RSF's form. Steve might be interested as well, the RSF sells a high alpine form of macabeanum that is said to be much hardier than macabeanum itself. Can't vouch for the shade of yellow. Methinks -5F is overly optimistic, we'll see when the reports come in after this brutal winter which has no signs of loosening its grip.
The best I've seen is 'Earl of Stairs' or 'Lord Stairs' or is it Stair?
johnw
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Ian I think you meant to say spinuliferum not recurvoides. Your mac has a sensational blotch and that Trewithen form a faultlessly formed truss, what a superb species. Maybe there's even hope for one here with the RSF's form.
johnw
Thank you John something is playing tricks with what is left of my brain. Macabeanum doesn't appreciate too much cold some specimens were killed in the winter here 2 years ago when the temperature fluctuated between -10 /-20C for a month. A large specimen at Lea Gardens in Derbyshire about 20 ft high and across is sadly no more
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Sounds an interesting form of Big Mac, I wonder if it is available for sale on this side of the Atlantic?
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Some great rhododendron photos ( and magnolias etc too) from the twitter pages of The Himalayan Garden (http://www.himalayangarden.com/) in Yorkshire
https://twitter.com/The_Hutts (https://twitter.com/The_Hutts) :D
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Just a few shots from Caerhays not all rhodies. Caerhays is 100 acres of the finest early garden I know and famous for its unrivalled collection of magnolias. The garden is constantly being regenerated with many new plants added. Not surprising since the Williams family also own Burncoose Nurseries. The last is of a new named campbelli type whose name I forget
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Spring si here
Rh. strigillosum & Rh. sheriffii
full out
10 C here in copenhagen
birck
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more
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Sounds an interesting form of Big Mac, I wonder if it is available for sale on this side of the Atlantic?
Steve - I'd bet Glendoick has grown seeds of that high altitude mac and have them for sale as well.
john
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Steve - I'd bet Glendoick has grown seeds of that high altitude mac and have them for sale as well.
john
I checked at the weekend -sadly they don't.
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What a show there Jens. That sheriffii is mighty dark.
I guess you missed that frost several nights ago that you worried about.
Seems we have plunged back into winter yet again.
johnw
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Steve - I'll email Steve @ the RSF and ask who in Europe sells it.
john
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Back to our hot dry weather. 27C yesterday at our Sacramento Valley garden, maybe a record for the date.
All the following photographs are from our Sacramento Valley garden.
R. albrechtii is just finishing its bloom. About 2 meters tall now.
R. hyperythrum x williamsianum.
Azalea 'Angel Lace' - from Earl Sommerville. Nice, light fragrance.
R. austrinum 'Moonbeam'. For us, always the first of the austrinum group to bloom. Good fragrance.
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Steve - This just back from Steve at the RSF:
Hi John,
Glendoick sells the high altitude macabeanum, he just has to ask for NAPE#052.
Cheers,
Steve
johnw
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Steve - This just back from Steve at the RSF:
Hi John,
Glendoick sells the high altitude macabeanum, he just has to ask for NAPE#052.
Cheers,
Steve
johnw
That's great John.
Thanks for this!
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Rhododendron eximium (or Rhododendron falconeri subsp. eximium).
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Two azaleas and one dendrocharis hybrid from up the mountain at the farm.
R. reticulatum - Great scarlet fall foliage.
R. schlippenbachii
minus x dendrocharis - very compact, about 25-30cm. The bees are drilling holes through the base of the flowers. I hope that they don't take a permanent liking to it. :-\
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John Grimshaw, very much a "tree" man, who is self-confessed as not the biggest fan of rhododendrons ;) is none the less a conscientious keeper of a wonderful collection the Yorkshire Arboretum, where he is Director.
He has tweeted this super picture (https://twitter.com/JohnMGrimshaw/status/446009307650211840/photo/1)of "the fabulous, very rare Rhododendron lanatoides KW5971A flowering now in Ray Wood"
[attachimg=1]
He has mentioned this plant before in his blog :
http://johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/conserving-rhododendrons.html (http://johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/conserving-rhododendrons.html)
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Rhododendron sutchuenense
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2164/13165742634_a36a47d69f_o.jpg)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3762/13165476185_96a5018ba2_o.jpg)
Unfortunately a sharp frost claimed the flowers the night after this image was taken! :'(
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Steve - That certainly is a sensational colour. Is it a named or numbered form?
johnw
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Thanks John!
It was purchased from Glendoick as a young plant about 15 years ago -unfortunately the original label has long gone so I have no further details.
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A good form of R. davidsonianum. It is almost 40 years old now - 3 meters tall x 2 meters wide. It puts on a good show every spring and is not bothered by the summer heat.
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I don't have a name for this.
It has taken some 15 years waiting to get a display like this. It has had one or two flowers occasionally but has 16 this year.
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I don't have a name for this.
It has taken some 15 years waiting to get a display like this. It has had one or two flowers occasionally but has 16 this year.
Graham,
Beautiful big leaf Rhododendron. I hope someone comes along who can ID it - not one of my strong points. ???
Rhododendron luteum has started blooming at our farm. The first photo is a nice lemon yellow seedling growing near R. reticulatum - a great color combination.
R. luteum 'Golden Comet' is near by. All of our R. luteums also have great autumn foliage, a bonus. ;)
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The Azaleas at our Sacramento Valley garden are now at their peak bloom.
'Tatiana' is one our 'Pearl Series' Deciduous Azaleas - dwarf (1M or less), early blooming, and fragrant is possible.
'Tatiana' was first named after a Siberian tiger at the San Francisco zoo. Now she is part of the Pearl Series named after Praskovia Ivanovna Kovalyova Zhemchugova and the other stars of the opera company, Tatyana (or Tatiana, The Garnet) being one of them.
R. occidentale 'Early Cream Pink' is one of a group of early blooming forms of R. occidentale found in the Feather River Canyon. We will post more on this group later. This season with the extremely warm temperatures she is very faded. She is generally very creamy yellow with much more pink.
R. austrinum x altanticum is one of the parents of 'Tatiana'.
Last, a very nice seedling from R. flammeum 'Hazel Hamilton'.
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Two more:
R. austrinum x 'Gibraltar'
Azalea 'Sunrise' an Earl Sommerville hybrid.
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I don't have a name for this.
It has taken some 15 years waiting to get a display like this. It has had one or two flowers occasionally but has 16 this year.
Graham it looks a little like R montroseanum to me
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A feather in your hat Ian. Steve at the RSF agrees, montroseanum it is indeed.
johnw
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Whoops, may need that feather back. I should have read the whole email from Steve at the RSF:
"Beautiful plant - and the rhody is not too shabby either! That is a dead-ringer for montroseanum other than it is growing in your climate (I am assuming) and the stigma is discoid vs. capitate. This last feature tells me that perhaps there is a bit of calophytum blood in this beast which would, of course, give it some hardiness. Remarkable resemblance to montroseanum however, both in flower color and foliage."
I have written to Steve to tell him the plant is growing not growing here in NS. We'll see if the possible hybridity with calophytum still holds.
johnw - Hurricane force winds on the way and 45cm of snow. Winds at Wreckhouse over in Nfld. may hit 180km/hr. The snow has just started.
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Below is a sampling of the early blooming forms of R. occidentale we found in the Feather River Canyon more than 10 years ago. I was aware of this group of plants from fishing trips in this area, however it took about 30 years before I finally investigated this population. They are growing on a south facing cliff / slope with a spring / seep providing water during the dry season. Many of the plants grow in full sun. 40C+ temperatures during the summer are common. There is a range of blooming times in this population, the first blooming 1 1/2 months before most populations in this area.
The interior California populations of R. occidentale are very different from those found in Coastal California. I have never had much success growing the coastal forms in our garden. The interior forms thrive! Even in our Sacramento Valley garden. So far many of the selections also have excellent crimson-red fall foliage. Our interior plants do not have the color range one finds on the coast, but the heat washes-out the colors on the coastal forms when they do manage to bloom. ;)
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An addition: This is the cliff face one has to traverse to visit the R. occidentale colony. A plant that I named 'Cliff White' grows at the top of this cliff growing out and over the edge. When it blooms it is very much like a beacon, and can be seen from quite a distance.
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John (W) here is a picture for you and I'd like your thoughts please. These are three of the half a dozen seedlings from the seed you sent to me, as Rh. mucronulatum, dwarf form. They haven't flowered yet but are very small and compact with rounded leaves rather than the pointed leaves of the larger mucronulatum, and they are quite hairy while the larger one has just about glabrous foliage, so I wondered if there is a possibility they are something else, in which case, what?
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Lesley - I think I had mentioned that there was a good possibility that the dwarf mucronulatum seed may have the larger muc. as father. In that case you would have to selected out the dwarf ones. However the seed must have been selfed as the three plants you show are pure dwarf mucronulatum v. taguetii. It is a superb form of the species and if you can situate one up high in the garden to view the marvellous fat trunk you will be pleased.
Here are self-sown seedlings in troughs and about. BTW the mother plant was received as R. mucronulatum 'Cheju' or Cheju but is now named mucronulatum v. taguetii 'Cheju' or simply mucronulatum v. taguetii; I must check which is correct.
johnw
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Thanks John. I think that makes things clearer. The little plants are very compact and huddled so I doubt if a trunk as such, will develop or be visible anyway. These are not deciduous as are the larger mucronulatums. The colour in your last picture is wonderful.
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Back from our weekly trek to our Sacramento Valley Garden. The cool weather has kept the azaleas in good shape; the heavy rains have battered the flowers a bit.
Az. 'Idi's Laugh' is an Exbury type seedling. Easy - one can't go wrong. My wife knows the Old Norse mythology, I am still learning, however as I remember Idi tried to get all the gold by putting it in his/her mouth. When he/she laughed some of the gold came out of his/ her mouth - thus the name. Many golden flowers.
Next: A sampling of F1 Pentathera type azaleas. During warmer weather the garden has a wonderful fragrance as many are very fragrant.
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Back up the mountain at the farm:
We have several selections of R. canescens. The one pictured is about 30-40 years old now -masses of fragrant flowers every spring.
The same with R. austrinum - a number of different selections. 'Santa Rosa being about average for us.
R. augustinii is blooming up the mountain at our farm, very early this season. A sister seedling down at our Sacramento Valley garden is just getting started.
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Graham it looks a little like R montroseanum to me
Whoops, may need that feather back. I should have read the whole email from Steve at the RSF:
"Beautiful plant - and the rhody is not too shabby either! That is a dead-ringer for montroseanum other than it is growing in your climate (I am assuming) and the stigma is discoid vs. capitate. This last feature tells me that perhaps there is a bit of calophytum blood in this beast which would, of course, give it some hardiness. Remarkable resemblance to montroseanum however, both in flower color and foliage."
I have written to Steve to tell him the plant is growing not growing here in NS. We'll see if the possible hybridity with calophytum still holds.
johnw - Hurricane force winds on the way and 45cm of snow. Winds at Wreckhouse over in Nfld. may hit 180km/hr. The snow has just started.
Hi, Ian and John,
Thanks for the ID - my apologies for not replying sooner but i forgot to return to the thread.
I bought it from Glendoik several years ago at a time I didn't keep the names of my plants. It is in their catalogue (not available at this time). It suggests it may require shelter as your information indicates which is provided where it is situated in my garden.
Thanks again
Graham
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Thanks John. I think that makes things clearer. The little plants are very compact and huddled so I doubt if a trunk as such, will develop or be visible anyway. These are not deciduous as are the larger mucronulatums. The colour in your last picture is wonderful.
Lesley - Very young seedlings here can indeed stay evergreen under the snow. This can go on for several years and then they become fully deciduous. You may not get cold enough to spark leaf drop.
As the plants gain some height the lower shorter branches will nomally die off due to shading (even in fully sum) and the trunk will become exposed in time.
Another thing to keep in mind - and this has been observed on Cheju Island - every once in awhile a long shot will appear from nowhere and theis shouyld be removed immediately. It's almost as if the plant is tresting the weather and should that long shoot freeze back they will not try a height increase again for several years. Mine has only done that once in 25-30 years.
johnw
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Before our rain/snow storm another Azalea from the Pearl Series to-date unnamed.
Under 1m after 15 years.
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I am enjoying seeing your rather fine range of azaleas, Robert. I think I can pretty well imagine the scent right here!
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I am enjoying seeing your rather fine range of azaleas, Robert. I think I can pretty well imagine the scent right here!
Thank you for the compliment Maggi. :) It is very nice and good for the spirit. :)
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Because we have such restricted space here, I have kept away from the deciduous azaleas and even, for the most part, from the evergreens, too, because they do not earn their keep well enough here to overshine the "regular" rhodos. This means I am always excited to see them in other gardens. There are some super parks near here with quite good plantings of the deciduous types, though not as varied a selection as I would like - but they are restricted by what grows better in this area too, in spite of having plenty space. Your beauties are a treat for me - and for many others , I 'll bet.
I can never understand why so few people click open the pictures in contrast to the number reading these threads. :-\
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Maggi
It really lifts my spirits to know that you, or anyone for that matter, are enjoying our photographs.
I want to say that a small garden can be very beautiful and fulfilling. My wife and I have been down sizing our garden for a number of years now. The small garden that you and your husband have created is at tremendous inspiration for my wife and I. The photographs through the bulb log have inspired us to be better gardeners and create more beauty on this planet. I think your impact for good goes well beyond that! Thank you.
For myself - I do enjoy clicking open the pictures, however for me most of the time it goes very slowly. Believe it or not I still use dial-up. When my brother comes into town he has devices that gets things to move much faster, so then I can and do open the pictures. I sure that I'm the odd duck out there, so who knows why others do not click open the photos. ??? ? ??? Hopefully they will speak up.
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You know, Robert,
I think that you may have hit the nail on the head- I guess there are more folks out there on dial-up, or on download restrictions, that I might realise. And, it must be said- oftentimes the thumbnail photos do give a perfectly clear idea of the scene or plant.
I will be sure to get Ian to read your very kind words about the Bulb Log and your reaction to our garden - that is precisely the kind of thing Ian hopes to achieve with the Bulb Log and you will please him greatly with your comment. Thank you!
Really , you know, I think that the very act of growing anything, on any scale is a good thing - it can be a healing or cathartic experience, therapeutic or challenging, calming and infuriating - but surely never dull!
The pleasure to be had from sowing seed and raising plants be it on 5 acres or in a 5 inch pot- it's all good for us!
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Ian / Graham - Returning that feather, Steve at the RSF just sent this.
"I think you can be very confident in calling that montroseanum. I had a look at ours which also happens to be blooming right now and it also has the discoid stigma. Steve" I hope you did not waste any labels with this little excerise!
Had a wonderful pot luck with Ian and Ann of the Christie kind here last night. Marvelous to have them in NS but the weather is positively abysmal.
johnw
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Love to hear that feather is flying around so well ...... ;.)
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Ian / Graham - Returning that feather, Steve at the RSF just sent this.
"I think you can be very confident in calling that montroseanum. I had a look at ours which also happens to be blooming right now and it also has the discoid stigma. Steve" I hope you did not waste any labels with this little excerise!
johnw
Hi John,
Many thanks for taking the time to get a confident ID for me. I'm really pleased especially as I think I asked for an ID in the past but got no response. This time not expecting an ID I got one.
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Hi John,
Many thanks for taking the time to get a confident ID for me. I'm really pleased especially as I think I asked for an ID in the past but got no response. This time not expecting an ID I got one.
What was the other plant you were trying to ID, Graham?
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My that is one cracker of a pachysanthum at the Youngs as shown of the Bulb Log Wednesday past. :o
johnw
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Hi John,
Many thanks for taking the time to get a confident ID for me. I'm really pleased especially as I think I asked for an ID in the past but got no response. This time not expecting an ID I got one.
My pleasure Graham. Nothing like a correctly labelled rhododendron species, they're such a rare breed.
johnw
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The first photo is a R. atlanticum hybrid - taller than what we want to deal with these days. It is a good bloomer and fragrant, so it is easy to keep around.
#2 is a flammeum - atlanticum hybrid. Very compact after 15 years, about 50-60cm. Also, blooms very well every season. It has turned out to be a good breeder, with many compact progeny. I will be posting photos of some of the progeny as the season progresses.
#3 A nice R. flammeum about 35-40 years old now.
#4 An "evergreen" azalea. It might be a species. As I remember the seed was from wild seed, Japan. The label is long gone now - it is about 20-25 years old.
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A good white form of R. minus.
R. decorum - a little roughed up by the weather. We always enjoy its fragrance.
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Hello Robert.
Thanks for the pictures, it is a pleasure to watch. Here in Denmark there are also flowers in Rhododendron now, here is a picture of 3 blooming now:
R. recurvoides
R. flinkii
R. campanulatum
Thorkild. DK
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A little video tour of Arduaine garden with Head Gardener Maurice Wilkins :
http://www.nts.org.uk/Multimedia/View/Arduaine-Garden-Tour/?utm_content=bufferbbd2f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer (http://www.nts.org.uk/Multimedia/View/Arduaine-Garden-Tour/?utm_content=bufferbbd2f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)
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Hello Robert.
Thanks for the pictures, it is a pleasure to watch. Here in Denmark there are also flowers in Rhododendron now, here is a picture of 3 blooming now:
R. recurvoides
R. flinkii
R. campanulatum
Thorkild. DK
Thorkild,
I thoroughly enjoy your rhododendron photographs - species and varieties that I can only read about but will not grow for us. They all look excellent!
I can not believe it but our lily blooming season will be starting soon. Very much earlier than average. L. pumilum and varieties such as 'Golden Gleam', L. dauricum are already budded. I will be posting them elsewhere when the time comes. Look forward to seeing your lilies too.
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1. Rhododendron 'Snipe'; 2. Rhododendron 'Phalarope'; 3. Rhododendron rubiginosum; 4. Rhododendron 'Bluebird'; 5. Rhododendron impeditum.
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1. Rhododendron 'St Merryn'; 2. Rhododendron macgregoriae Woods 2646.
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What was the other plant you were trying to ID, Graham?
Hi Maggi,
It was the rhododendron just identified by Ian and John. I showed it a couple of years ago asking for an id and I suppose these two experts must have missed the request. :D
Graham
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1. Rhododendron 'Snipe'; 2. Rhododendron 'Phalarope'; 3. Rhododendron rubiginosum; 4. Rhododendron 'Bluebird'; 5. Rhododendron impeditum.
1. Rhododendron 'St Merryn'; 2. Rhododendron macgregoriae Woods 2646.
Beautiful Rhodies!
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Thanks! First time the little vireya has flowered for me.
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Thanks! First time the little vireya has flowered for me.
The vireya: is it a clone or did you grow it from seed? Regardless, they are all beauties.
By the way, your collection of species tulips is very interesting. I enjoy seeing them.
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Thanks Robert; I bought it from Glendoick, so presumably it's a clone. Thanks for your comment about the tulips - amazing how they vary year on year, depending on the kind of winter/spring we have.
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All of the following photographs are from our Sacramento Valley garden, except R. periclymenoides.
The first photo is of a ruffled R. atlanticum hybrid. I enjoy ruffled, fragrant flowers so it is used as a parent in many of our hybrids.
#2 Az. 'Sandra Marie' an old hybrid by Bob Bovee.
#3 R. periclymenoides 'Flat Creek Fuchsia' - A form of periclymenoides that I certainly enjoy.
#4 A nice combination: Acer palmatum 'Kasagiyama' with azalea.
#5 I thought that the early December cold snap might have harmed the flower buds on our Maddenia rhododendrons. Sure enough, this is as good as it gets for the semi-tender types. This R. dalhousiae seem to be sticking its tongue out at us. :P Generally we get a good bloom out of our semi-hardy Maddenias. Something for us to keep note of.
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R.falconeri-from seed and 1st flowers.
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R.falconeri-from seed and 1st flowers.
Philip,
Amazing to see such a species flowering as such a young plant. Thank you for sharing the photograph. Where did the seed come from? Wild or domestic?
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Hi Robert.I'm not sure how old this plant is,but I do know that I left it and some others in their pots too long.Would that cause early flowering through stress?I sent one to a friend who put it in the ground.He says it is growing strongly but no signs of flowers.The seed would have come from a nursery,possibly Norfields.
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Hi Robert.I'm not sure how old this plant is,but I do know that I left it and some others in their pots too long.Would that cause early flowering through stress?I sent one to a friend who put it in the ground.He says it is growing strongly but no signs of flowers.The seed would have come from a nursery,possibly Norfields.
Philip,
I'm no expert but it seems reasonable to think stress may have caused the rhododendron to bloom as such a small plant. After all they do want to survive or continue on. I have observed this in other plant species.
Another idea is that the plant might be a hybrid. I'm definitely not an expert on this. If its ID is important to you, you might what to check this out through the forum.
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Robert
Iwould imagine the seed was open pollinated,(I don't actually know though).I never mind being corrected on names.
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I got this from Norfields years ago when they were in Monmouthshire; identity uncertain but believed to be Rhododendron yakushimanum 'Fred Peste'.
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John - It certainly looks like the hybrid 'Fred Peste'. It's actually yak x haematodes.
johnw
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Thanks Johnw.
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Some general garden pix with rhodos here (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11682.msg302265#msg302265)
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Does this colour combination work? I think so but I am a fan of Christopher Lloyd's planting style!
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Ralph, in our garden we spend as much time worrying about colour combos as we do about taxonomy - so not a lot ::)
Life's too short for stressing about that stuff as you walk into your garden to recharge your batteries and uplift your soul :)
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How true!
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Ralph,
Our gardening style was influenced by Masanabu Fukuoka when he visited California in 1986. Now we get to bed early and get a good nights sleep! ;)
A new candidate for our Pearl Series of deciduous azaleas. After 5 years it is less than 50cm tall, very floriferous, very fragrant. It will take a closer look at it for a few years to see if we keep it.
#2 Some easy elepidote rhododendrons:
We enjoy the fragrance of R. fortunei.
R. makinoi is a good foliage plant for us.
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Another week to our Sacramento Valley garden/home and the local farmers' market. I'll take some liberties with the forum and show one of our fruit trees dripping with fruit (before thinning)this season. The year started with catastrophic drought conditions, however the rains in February and March have made the situation in our location much more manageable. Something to get a farmer smiling. :D
#2 Another shot of a white R. decorum seedling.
Some of our old R. occidentale hybrids are starting to bloom: Pink Nightlife, we also have a White Nightlife and a Bi-colored Nightlife.
We also have some azalea hybrids that seem to hang around the garden despite not being anything special. Every time we think about pulling-out the White Hybrid it seems to be its bloom time. The flowers glow in the evening, especially when there is a full moon. The fragrance is fantastic. ;)
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Fruit crop doing very nicely, Robert - please don't tell me you grow great figs too or I'll have to cry.
I can't get over how early your R. fortunei and R. decorum are flowering compared to here. Two of the most lovely species are they not?
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Fruit crop doing very nicely, Robert - please don't tell me you grow great figs too or I'll have to cry.
I can't get over how early your R. fortunei and R. decorum are flowering compared to here. Two of the most lovely species are they not?
Maggi,
I regret to tell you that I do grow figs, maybe not as many as my grandfather. He grew over 100 acres of figs! :o And they must be good because the customers start lining up at our farm stand at 6:30 am to buy our fruit. I am nice about it though, I start selling at 7:00 even though the market does not open til 8:00. I market manager does not mind, I guess it is one of the perks of being one of the old timers. ;)
I did breed a golden orange cherry tomato that I call "Freya's Tears". Remember, Freya's tears turned to gold. ;)
The good news for us is that we will have enough water for me to continue some of the vegetable breeding projects I've been working on. 8)
I guess none of this has anything to do with rock gardening or rhododendrons, so ..........
Yes, our blooming season starts early, and ends late. I hope that I'm not too busy with the farm season to show the 'Summer of Love' deciduous azaleas I've been working on. Little, dwarf, deciduous azaleas that bloom in either late June, July, or August. For me, hot stuff. ;D Hot colors, fragrance, and whatever else I like. I think that I'm getting long winded and there is fruit to thin.
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Rhododendron formosanum.
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Rhododendron niveum. The colour rendition does not do justice to the plant!
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Rhododendrons were looking good a few days ago but 1 degree of frost last night finished off Rh. 'Phalarope'. Trichostomum and hippophaeoides are only slightly damaged.
Rhododendron 'Phalarope'
Rhododendron hippophaeoides 'Haba Shan'
Rhododendron hippophaeoides Yu 13845
Rhododendron trichostomum
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'Tweeted' by Al Elliott (https://twitter.com/alan_elliott):
"A seed grown living Rhododendron horlickianum from Francis Kingdon-Ward 1931 Type collection at The Botanics "
[attachimg=1]
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'Tweeted' by Al Elliott (https://twitter.com/alan_elliott):
"A seed grown living Rhododendron horlickianum from Francis Kingdon-Ward 1931 Type collection at The Botanics "
The story : http://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/11296 (http://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/11296)
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A few flowering now:
Rhododendron yakushimanum 'Silver Sixpence'
Rhododendron 'Bow Bells'
Rhododendron 'Ruby Hart'
Rhododendron 'Curlew'
Rhododendron 'Ptarmigan'.
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Lovely Rhododendron folks, they seem really good this year.
Hear's my 'hardy annual' bought quite a few years ago now for 50p and looking like a stray twig. Difficult to put a name to it but Maggi goes for 'Blue Tit' and JohnW goes for 'Blue Diamond'. I'm happy with either.
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#1 A good R. flammeum.
#2 R. atlanticum with blue columbine. A good combination that came by chance!
#3 A seedling that showed up a few years ago with a very interesting color. The original plant is too tall for my liking so now it is being bred to be dwarf, the easy part. When that is finished cleaning up the truss into something I like could be a challenge.
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The R.occidentale hybrids are blooming down at our Sacramento Valley garden
as well as a few late blooming Exbury types.
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Bought from Jamie Taggart, Rhododendron rigidum YUN 95 173.
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Rhododendron Loderi Group 'Pink Diamond' and Rhododenron 'Ems' (or possibly 'EMS')
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Bought from Jamie Taggart, Rhododendron rigidum YUN 95 173.
Still no news of Jamie Taggart - his father is appealing for better support from Ministers and the Foreign Office - see more here : http://thelochsidepress.com/2014/04/13/fathers-plea-for-ministers-to-be-pressured-over-mystery-disappearance-of-jamie-taggart-in-vietnam/ (http://thelochsidepress.com/2014/04/13/fathers-plea-for-ministers-to-be-pressured-over-mystery-disappearance-of-jamie-taggart-in-vietnam/)
Reading the reply to Dr Taggart from the Foreign Office, one can only hope that the FCO minion charged with liason with the Vietnamese has a better grasp of that language than he seems to have of English.
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Rhododendron Loderi Group 'Pink Diamond' and Rhododenron 'Ems' (or possibly 'EMS')
Ralph,
Thanks for the Rhodo photos, especially the hybrids - I read about them but never get to see them, even the very common types.
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Retweeted by Al Elliott from the RBGE (https://twitter.com/TheBotanics) page :
Rhododendron grande in the woodland garden
[attachimg=1]
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Again from the RBGE twitter page :
Rhododendron kaempferi and lichens combining to beautiful effect
[attachimg=1]
A spring garden view
[attachimg=2]
Rhododendron loderi opening
[attachimg=3]
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Rhododendron forrestii repens
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/13974806715_fbdbd62ed9_o_d.jpg)
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2913/13971615762_35390f0e41_o_d.jpg)
Not a floriferous species. :'(
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Some flowers on Rhododendron augustinii this year. Sometimes I wonder why I keep it but it's a lovely blue. It got badly damaged in the 2010-2011 winter. I waited till the new growth started then cut it back to make a tidier shape. It made a lot of long growths in the damp summers of 2011 and 2012. Some got broken and some eaten by deer.
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Rhododendron
4 picture of Rhododendron in bloom.
1 Cephalantum ssp platyphyllum
2 hanceanum
3 wightii
4 makinoi x pachysanthum
Thorkild DK
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Rhododendron yakushimanum 'Golden Torch'
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Rhododendron
4 picture of Rhododendron in bloom.
1 Cephalantum ssp platyphyllum
2 hanceanum
3 wightii
4 makinoi x pachysanthum
Thorkild DK
Thor - Tell us about the R. wightii. Was it grown from c.w. seed? I understand the wightii of bygone days with the floppy truss was a hybrid. A friend told me it was so floppy that folks often wired the truss up straight to enter it in the big UK shows.
Like that platy and neat flowered makpach.
johnw
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A bit one sided as it had to have some remedial work.
R. 'Curlew'
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All the rhododendrons look great.
Years ago I was foolish enough to try R. forrestii repans. Needless to say it is long gone, and if for some reason it did survive it never would have looked as nice as the one posted by Steve. It looks great!
'Curlew' is gone from our garden now, but it did manage to survive for 10 plus years. However, it never really looked good or seemed happy.
Thorkild,
Once again your rhododendrons look very nice. I hope you can follow up with the story of your R. wrightii.
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Rhododendron Wighthii
The seeds I have from Dublin's Botanic Gardens.
W. H. 65-92
Thorkild-DK
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I can't grow Rhodies here (another thing you can grow that I can't, Maggi!) but there were a lot od Vireyas at the FCHS Show today - I've posted pics of them here: http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11751.0 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11751.0)
Enjoy!
cheers
fermi
(Edit by maggi - new thread link made)
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Rhododendron 'Graziella'
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re: Graziela
John - How will Graziela fare under the new EU regulations concerning "ponticum" and it's hybrids? I always thought it would be interesting to cross it with makinoi.
johnw
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re: Graziela
John - How will Graziela fare under the new EU regulations concerning "ponticum" and it's hybrids? I always thought it would be interesting to cross it with makinoi.
johnw
That's anybody's guess!
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We are getting into our late season with our rhododendrons and azaleas.
#1 This is the first of the R. calendulaceum up at the farm.
#2 This old calendulaceum x atlanticum hybrid is interesting. Some years the flowers are white with only a small yellowish rim, other years they are as in the photograph.
#3 R. quinquefilium - I also enjoy is foliage.
#4 Up at the farm, this old R. decorum is from wild seed. Very fragrant!
#5 One of my ancient hybrids, fortunei x ririei. A giant, and perhaps nothing special; it stays in the garden as it is appreciated with all the other plants in the garden.
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This one is doing well this year and the scent is wonderful. Unfortunately a frost is predicted for tomorrow night
R loderi King George
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I do hope that frost forecast is wrong, Ian - I can't bear to think of that fragrant beauty suffering damage.
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Maggi what was that fab looking Rhodo on Beechgrove this evening? I was expecting Jim to mention it
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For myself - I do enjoy clicking open the pictures, however for me most of the time it goes very slowly. Believe it or not I still use dial-up. When my brother comes into town he has devices that gets things to move much faster, so then I can and do open the pictures. I sure that I'm the odd duck out there, so who knows why others do not click open the photos. ??? ? ??? Hopefully they will speak up.
Robert and Maggi, for me anyway, it's a matter of time. I seem to have much less of it since "retiring," that concept whereby one has masses of spare time. It's not so, with all the other things to do, one didn't have time for before, and people assume one can do heaps of NEW things because now one is sitting about doing nothing at all. So I click on the unknown and the more obvious pics which have lots of colour or leaf form but leave many which have too much detail or are of "general" things rather than specific and of course many days recently have gone by without my opening the Forum at all (Shame on me. I always managed to dip in when I was working.)
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(It might also have something to do with the fact that my PC and laptop both live in my bedroom which is akin to an icehouse at this time of year.)
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I noticed yesterday that R. forrestii repens having sat unplanted in a polystyrene box for about 16 months now, since I lifted it to move, and had water up to its eyebrows for about a month last winter, has more buds now than ever before. Perhaps it likes to be badly treated but more likely it's going to put on a great display prior to its demise. Many plants do this, in an attempt to reproduce from seed before it's too late. For years I never had a seed on Roscoea procera (or purpurea procera?) a beautiful white with a double purple flash on the lower petals and originally grown from Joe Elliott's seed. Then it got very dry one year. It flowered well and made lots of seed all of which which I gave away. I never saw it again as it didn't come up the following year.
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(It might also have something to do with the fact that my PC and laptop both live in my bedroom which is akin to an icehouse at this time of year.)
Lesley,
I suffer the cold room syndrome too! :P Since I love my work, I can't imagine retiring, however all my activity keeps me slim, my wife would say "too skinny!", but also cold too often.
Rhododendron calendulaceum, one of a few, good, dwarf forms of this species. All are under 75cm, some even smaller after 15 years.
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Robert, you Rhodo photos are an inspiration. I'm adding very other plant to my wish list of plants to grow in a future woodland garden. Thanks for this transatlantic treat.
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Maggi what was that fab looking Rhodo on Beechgrove this evening? I was expecting Jim to mention it
Sorry Mark, I wasn't paying attention - didn't see a rhodo amongst all the potting and decking - will hav a look when the programme is on i-player to see if I spot it.
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Sorry Mark, I wasn't paying attention - didn't see a rhodo amongst all the potting and decking - will have a look when the programme is on i-player to see if I spot it.
Do you mean this one, seen in the opening section in the conservatory?
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
-not sure - looks like it may be a R. formosum hybrid - I don't think it's a pure species - leaves too plain.
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yes that's it
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Robert, you Rhodo photos are an inspiration. I'm adding very other plant to my wish list of plants to grow in a future woodland garden. Thanks for this transatlantic treat.
Matt,
Thanks for the compliment. It is my understanding that some of the Southeastern U.S. species need a long growing season and heat to do well. Maybe you already know the ones that will do best in your area, but, at least, I wanted to put it out there.
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Each Spring, it's one of the highlights in my garden : Rhododendron Yakushimanum
... and with it's neighbour : Rhododendron 'Percy Wiseman'
Another Yaku hybrid of which I lost the name.
Rhododendron 'Chicor' was cut back to the ground a couple of years ago because it was damaged - it's rejuvenating itself wonderfully !
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Rhododendron calostrotum 'Gigha' yesterday. minus 2 last night so it's all brown today. Lots of the buds had already aborted though I am not sure if it was frost damage earlier or some other reason.
I don't know the name of the blue one
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Rhododendron from the garden today.
1 Rh cinnabarinum ssp xanthocodon
2 Flower of No 1
3 Rh cinnabarinum
4 flower of No. 3
5 Rh cinnabarinum
Thorkild - DK
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Your cinnabarinums look very healthy, Thorkild. I abandoned mine because of powdery mildew attack some years ago - they never looked as good as yours.
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Rhododendron
Hello Maggi
I've never had mildew in my Rd cinnabarinum I sowed them about 20 years ago. I have had the pleasure to see them in Edinburgh Botanic street and Benmore Botanic street.
Picture of Rh cinnabarinum roylei.
Thorkild-DK
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I'm glad to hear of your good fortune, Thorkild. It must simply be that the climate here favours the disease.
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Your cinnabarinums look very healthy, Thorkild. I abandoned mine because of powdery mildew attack some years ago - they never looked as good as yours.
Maggi
I have had similar experiences with these cinnarbarinums but some do survive though most are poor here.
I had heard that Cox's had stopped selling these for the same reason but when I visited the Glendoick garden last week the Trewithen Orange was absolutely magnificent. This is a plant I had never seen growing well particularly at Trewithem where it is a miffy thing. There were also a few for sale also full of flowers
Three shots
The garden context, the plant and some flowers
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That is really super, Ian - makes me hungry it's so orange!
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Rhododendron.
Fortunately, we have not had any night frost.
Thorkild - Dk
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Lovely garden Thorkild and superb cinnabarinums and hybrids thereof everyone.
Ian, that Trewithen Orange is unbelievable!
We had powdery mildew on them when we wintered them in the greenhouse - same with thomsonii - but once outdoors during the winter the pm disappeared.
johnw
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Rhododendron
Hello Maggi
I've never had mildew in my Rd cinnabarinum I sowed them about 20 years ago. I have had the pleasure to see them in Edinburgh Botanic street and Benmore Botanic street.
Picture of Rh cinnabarinum roylei.
Thorkild-DK
Thorkild,
I wish I could even grow R. cinnabarinum here - too hot! I keep trying and do have some seedlings coming on - wishful thinking.
Some variations of R. alabamense.
'Narcissiflora' may be the first azalea I ever planted. It must be at least 40 years old now and puts on a great show every season.
Last, a good golden yellow R. calendulaceum.
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Another R. calendulaceum. Most of the seedlings are good, with lots of variation in flower color.
R. Trude Webster must be close to 40 years old too. It a giant, even after being cut back twice during its lifetime.
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Some of the Rh. in flower in my garden just now. As usual the names of some are missing due to the labels becoming unreadable
SRGC-2014-05-05-rh.augustinii.
SRGC-2014-05-05-rh.augustinii-exbury--
SRGC-2014-05-05-garden-rh.ever-red--015
SRGC-2014-05-05Rh. seaview sunset
SRGC-garden-plants-013
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A few more.
SRGC-2014-05-05-alison-johnstone
SRGC Rh. Night Sky
SRGC-rh.alison-johnstone-flowers
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Tom,
Thanks for sharing the rhodo photographs.
I'm familiar with the rhododendrons in my garden - for me, that is about as far as it gets.
I like Alison Johnstone. The color appears to be a cream-pink. Is this so? It also looks compact?
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The colour picture is reasonably accurate. It is described as peachy amber on the label but it seems to fade to cream pink and is described as hardy. It has a cinnabarinum in it's parentage and was obtained from Glendoick. The web site below gives the full details.
. http://www.rhododendron.org/descriptionH_new.asp?ID=996 (http://www.rhododendron.org/descriptionH_new.asp?ID=996)
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Tom - Is that 'Elizabeth' left mid in the above post and the picture labelled "garden-plants-013"?
New glasses and can't see a thing for 4 weeks now.
johnw
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Yes, that is Elizabeth. Thanks to the lack of frost, it has flowered profusely this year. This is Elizabeth 15 minutes ago.....fading but still colourful. She started flowering 5 weeks ago and the cool moist weather seems to suit her.
A few others in flower or NOT.
The cinnabarinum has been in for 8 years, produces healthy growth but refuses to flower.
The Johnstonianum is JUST hardy here but is susceptible to frost which kills the buds. Also, to my disappointment, has no fragrance. I must have got a "dud "clone.
There are highly scented varieties both at Culzean and Logan, both have creamy yellow flowers whereas mine is white.
Tinkerbird is hardy and produces highly scented blooms.
I moved "Winsome" from the back garden round to the exposed front and it seems to have enjoyed the move. When I bought it the description said that it was a small rh.
It is growing at the rate of at least 6 inches a year and was already taking over twice the space I had allocated for it !
I have not noticed the season has gone on and will have to get to Benmore, Crarae, Arduiane and Logan before the season is over,
I still have to do something with my pictures of the large leaved varieties taken at Benmore and Culzean about 3 weeks ago.
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Rhododendron
Rhododendron cinnabarinum from cox
Rhododendron cephalanthum ssp platyphyllum
Rhododendron wee bee
Thorkild - DK
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The colour picture is reasonably accurate. It is described as peachy amber on the label but it seems to fade to cream pink and is described as hardy. It has a cinnabarinum in it's parentage and was obtained from Glendoick. The web site below gives the full details.
. http://www.rhododendron.org/descriptionH_new.asp?ID=996 (http://www.rhododendron.org/descriptionH_new.asp?ID=996)
Tom,
Thanks for the information!
Thorkild,
Great photos! and your garden looks fabulous!
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Rhododendron.
Rhododendron Diandi (Viscy)
Rhododendron schlippenbachii
Rhododendron anthopogon lapponicum
Thorkild - DK
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Thorkild, I beg to disagree. The way I see it, the first one is 'Viscy'.
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Rhododendron
Hello Tomasz
I understand you well,
I bought it many years ago as Rh. goldika, so I owe you an answer because I've never bought Viscy.
Thorkild - DK
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Hello Thorkild,
Below are photo galleries of 'Goldika' and 'Viscy' from the Deutsche Genbank Rhododendron site. I guess the pictures posted there are legit. You can also find there descriptions of these varieties, with flower and foliage characteristics (click 'Allgemeine Daten').
R. 'Goldika' photo gallery (http://www.lwk-niedersachsen.de/index.cfm/action/rhodo.html?job=rhodo_one&job2=fotos&do=yes&rid=21094)
R. 'Viscy' photo gallery (http://www.lwk-niedersachsen.de/index.cfm/action/rhodo.html?job=rhodo_one&job2=fotos&do=yes&rid=2730)
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Thanks Tomasz, I have fixed it to Diandi Viscy
Thorkild-DK
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We took a chance on the good weather to visit Logan Gardens on Sunday. At this time of year most of the scented varieties are in flower except Crassum, Maddenii and Dalhousii.
My favourite "Roylemadd" was looking the best I have ever seen it. It is a cross between Cinnabarinum roylei x Madennii with the cinnabarinum tubular flowers and the beautiful scent of the Madennii. As far as I know, Logan is it's only home.
Another one that was new to me was an Edgeworthii named Logan Dream - beautiful marked blooms and a really strong perfumed scent. If they could have made ice cream from it, I would have eaten it.
Not all pictures of Rh. but I can't be bothered separating them !
SRGC-logan-gardens- Rh.Roylemadd 008.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- Rh Roylemadd bush 010.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens-Rh.edgeworthii 011.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- Rh. Logan dream 023.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- bluebell path 034.jpg
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Part 2
SRGC-logan-gardens- Echium 016.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- sophora golden rain tree 036.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- gunnera leaf 032.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- Rh crassum bud 018.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- Rh Horlickianum 012.jpg
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part 3
SRGC-logan-gardens- Echium 016.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- sophora golden rain tree 036.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- gunnera leaf 032.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- Rh crassum bud 018.jpg
SRGC-logan-gardens- Rh Horlickianum 012.jpg
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You were taking a risk letting Cindy get that close to the Gunnera, Tom - they might have been hungry and she'd have been gone in an instant! :o ;)
Roylemadd is very lovely ( well, they ALL are, to my eyes :))
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It is nice to see everything lush and nice. The big heat is here, and with the third year of drought it has not taken long for many of the rhododendron flowers to fade quickly. I liked it when it rained into June.
Thanks for sharing the photos Tom!
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The scary thing about the gunnera is that it is this size already. By July it will be twice this size...about 3 metres. I always half expect some carniverous dinosaur to be lurking about in the depths of the planting.
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Expecting rain by the afternoon so I have taken a few more in the garden in case of flower damage.
Winsome does not photograph well. The shine off the flower masks the delicate pink and comes out as white in the picture. I should have used a polaroid filter to cut out the reflection
Maggi
Tried to show the plant names in the text but failed !
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Your garden must be an absolute joy at this time of year Tom. I take it you have a large garden or do you just get a lot of plants in a small one?
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Actually it is rather small. The back garden is about 63' x 30' and 50' x 12' at the front. I just keep stuffing plants in until the ground disappears. However, I always fail to note how big rhododendrons can get - even the "small"varieties. Winsome was round the back garden a year ago. After a few years it has grown to about 4 feet high by 3 feet in diameter. The Loderi is now 9 feet. An apple tree I planted from a seedling is now 20 feet high with a similar spread and I am still putting in plants. Now it is meconopsis.
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Thorkild
Your picture P4271061 anthopogon x lapponicum is likely 'Frosthexe' which I just happen to stumble upon in my own garden.
johnw
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One of the best performers for us in very early Spring, Rhododendron 'Babylon' never fails and hangs on here at a friend's a good couple of weeks longer than usual.
johnw
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Some Rhododendrons flowering in the garden now , the ones down the drive are all ones that had overgrown there spaces.
Angie :)
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Some more
Angie :)
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Lovely bright colours Angie. A couple from the garden at the weekend:
Rhododendron yunnanense, R. yakushimanum 'Grumpy' (and before anybody comments - that suits me some days!!)
R yakushimanum 'Grumpy'
R. trichostomum
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Rhododendron 'Arctic Tern, Rh. 'Buttermilk', and Rh. Karen Triplett'.
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A hybrid: R. occidentale x macrophyllum
'Evergreen occidentale'
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Another very sweet azalea: occidentale x viscosum var. aemulans. End of blooming season. :'(
Not only are the flowers extremely sweetly scented but moonlight effect is fantastic.
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Robert, with your garden and the surrounding countryside with wildflowers, I think you may be living in a Californian Paradise.
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Robert, with your garden and the surrounding countryside with wildflowers, I think you may be living in a Californian Paradise.
Maggi,
My wife and I call our home "Karakal" after the mountain that towers over the "Valley of the Blue Moon" - think James Hilton's book "Lost Horizon".
I have to admit that my wife and I like Frank Capra's movie over he book.
As one moves into the Sierra Nevada Mountains, especially the more remote parts, California is a paradise! During the warm months our garden seems a paradise, especially those full moon evenings with fragrance everywhere and the white blossoms seeming to glow in the moonlight. This is part of our version of paradise by design!
Thank you for the compliment, now if only my ankle would heal as in Shangri La! :)
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Yes, I agree yours is a "paradise by design" as well as being in a naturally lovley place , Robert - we wish you a speedy recovery from your injury - don't rush it though- that's never a great idea.
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Tweeted by John Mitchell from RBGE -
Rhododendron lowndesii
[attachimg=1]
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Tweeted by John Mitchell from RBGE - Rhododendron lowndesii
I am feeling very, very faint............ :o
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I am feeling very, very faint............ :o
I knew you would be - isn't it just glorious?
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I am feeling very, very faint............ :o
Well, sit down until you recover - we can't afford any more injuries among our "chief posters"!
;D
cheers
fermi
(Now that you're sitting down you can explain how rare that rhodie is!)
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Fermi - It is so so rare and even rarer alive.
I know 2 people who grow it in North America. June Sinclair in Port Ludlow, WA. had a 10" plant growing in a spot where a stump had been. Gradually the spot starting to sink as the bark rotted and she had to lift and raise the planting level. It did not take kindly to that but survived by a thread. A friend in BC has/had a layer off June's. I had a 2" wide seedling from Barry Starling seed in a trough but it did not make it through the second winter in the cool ghouse as it got too dry I think.
Barry Starling grows it in the UK, Aberconwy Nurseries in the UK sells it, Ron Mcbeth used to sell it and obviously John Mitchell grows it to absolute perfection given the lustiness shown in that photo. Lesley may grow it.
Barry tells me if you grow seed of the Glendoick hybrid Pipit - a lepidotum x lowndesii cross - you will get easier to grow seedlings similar to lowndesii itself. I know of only one other hybrid, again by Glendoick, called Wagtail which they sell. Here it is deciduous and reminiscent of lowndesii so I guess I should be thankful for at least that.
What it wants? I'm not the one to ask - sharp drainage, sun, no heat, evenly moist, gritty soil and I doubt it can take much below -8 to -10c would be a guess.
Funny this picture should appear now as I just had a very dark purple lapponicum flower yesterday and I was thinking if only I could lay my hands on some lepidotum or better still lowndesii pollen, now that would make for a cranky hybrid.
johnw
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Barry Starling grows it in the UK, Aberconwy Nurseries in the UK sells it, Ron Mcbeth used to sell it and obviously John Mitchell grows it to absolute perfection given the lustiness shown in that photo. Lesley may grow it.
And Dave Mountfort showed it at Southport show a couple of weeks ago where it was awarded a Certificate of Merit:
http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/shows/results/shows2014/shows/southpor/images/Don_Peace/sizedRhododendron_lowndesii_-_Dave_Mountford_-_P1070427.JPG.html#top (http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/shows/results/shows2014/shows/southpor/images/Don_Peace/sizedRhododendron_lowndesii_-_Dave_Mountford_-_P1070427.JPG.html#top)
I've kept it alive for a few years, but only ever one flower and now it is no more :'(
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Extract from Aberconwy Nursery Spring List:-
"We have some nice little plants of Rhododendron lowndesii (£8). This deciduous Rhododendron is one of the smallest and one of the most challenging, often growing no more than 2" high."
Of course they may not have any left now.
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£8! I'll take 50.
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Fermi , I grew a thriving Rh. lowndesii from a tiny cutting received from Barry Starling some 30 years ago and after 10 years spread to about 20cm square , flowering freely. until one very hot ,dry summer it died . I think from memory mine was a slightly deepershade of yellow. Luckily 'PIPIT' is still growing happily here.
Rh.ludlowii onlylasted about 5 years ,but I managed to cross it with keiskei var. cordifolia . This hybrid is very dwarf ,free flowering and easy to strike from cuttings . so far unnamed.
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Otto - Impressive feats there!
Did you treat lowndesii as one would a seedling camtschaticum? The last one I had sowed on a peat block in a trough and my thought is as the peat starts to deteriorate one would have to dig and transplant. Of course the peat dried out before we got to that point.
5 years for a ludlowii, that's old age. Isn't there 20 ludlowii years to a human year?
Did your keiskei x ludlowii hybrid resemble Wren which by the way is just out now?
johnw
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It is that time of year.
R. cumberlandense
These are placed around the garden here and there adding some bright color that I like.
Another plus is they do not grow large. It is clear that we are going to lose some of our rhododendrons this season because of the drought. I hate to see the plants die, but I have to admit that it does not upset me either. The smaller rhododendrons (azaleas) need less water than the larger growing species and others are clearly "drought tolerant" such as R. racemosum and others. Also, this is an opportunity to test my hybrids for "drought tolerance". So for me it can be enlightening.
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R. cumberlandense
These are placed around the garden here and there adding some bright color that I like.
I can understand why you like it, Robert.
Reminds me of Streptosolen jamesonii ;D
Are they native to your region?
I wonder if they'd handle our conditions? Must see if any of the Aus Rhodo Group grow it,
cheers
fermi
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Fermi,
Most of the azalea species native to the southeastern U.S.A. do extremely well for us, including R. cumberlandense. I've been surprised by how they can withstand short periods with dry soil conditions; recover, blooming well and still having nice fall color. Despite the 38 plus c. weather all summer, we get away with watering our azaleas once a week once they are established (and most of our other rhododendrons too). Lots of organic mulch around the plants helps, I'm sure.
Some of our Southeastern azaleas are also growing in near full sun. The flowers last longer with afternoon shade, but the trade off is fewer flower buds. It has to stay above 42c for a number of days before the foliage burns on those in afternoon sun.
Another consideration for us is R. occidentale, our native Western Azalea. Plants from coastal areas die or do so poorly that they are not worth growing. Plants from the Sierra Nevada thrive - they can take heat, sun, and almost anything else except poor soil drainage. Some of ours have brilliant scarlet fall foliage and we have clones that start blooming in early March. The late clones blooming in June.
I'm please with what we can do with rhododendrons and deciduous azaleas in our hot, dry climate, even without massive amounts of water.
I keep looking for a genetic dwarf form of our Sierra Nevada R. occidentale. No luck yet, but then I enjoy bushwhacking in our remote canyons and mountains.
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The weather is getting quite warm now. It looks as if we will be getting our first 38-40c temperatures for the season this weekend.
This is when our heat tolerant, fragrant deciduous azaleas are divine! Even in the cool of the morning the fragrance is strong. During the evening it is even better. This R. arborescens is near our bedroom window where the fragrance enters the room all night long and sweet dreams!
I can understand why you like it, Robert.
Reminds me of Streptosolen jamesonii ;D
Are they native to your region?
I wonder if they'd handle our conditions? Must see if any of the Aus Rhodo Group grow it,
cheers
fermi
Fermi,
I will be at our Sacramento Valley home today and will cross pollinate some of our R. cumberlandense. I can mail you some seed when they are ready if you like. Needless to say, all heat tolerant clones!
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My Azaleas were at their best 2 or 3 weeks ago
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Azalea 'Narcissiflora' has a beautiful scent
'Rosebud' is looking healthier and flowered much better than it has done for years
This one is also scented and is later to flower - I did get it identified on the forum ?last year ?a few years ago - but have forgotten its name
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Roma,
Beautiful Azaleas!
The 'Narcissiflora' in our garden is about 40 years old and is huge as I have never pruned on it. In all those years, I have never noticed it having much in the way of fragrance - it must be our climate. I love fragrance in the garden, especially on summer evenings when it is much more comfortable out in the garden than in the house.
Sadly, our summer azaleas are a disaster so far. We are having day after day of 39-40c heat and 30% less water this season due to the drought. The azaleas are tough and will survive. Many of the older elepidote rhododendrons will not survive - and the garden will take on a new form. For me this not a loss but a new beginning. :)
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This one is also scented and is later to flower - I did get it identified on the forum ?last year ?a few years ago - but have forgotten its name
Roma - You certainly are hotting up the highlands there. What a show!
I recall that scented one - viscosum or arborescens or a hybrid between. I can never remember the diff. Looks like Roberts arborescens but that should be the very last (before prunifolium in Septemeber that is).
john
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I'm sure that it is no surprise :o , here in California our R. prunifoliums generally bloom the first week of August. At least up the mountain at the farm. We have one R. pruniflorum planted at our garden in the Sacramento valley that blooms in mid-July. It was said to be an early form but I have nothing to compare it to in that garden.
The rhododendrons in our valley garden are growing on class 1 farm soil. They are holding up to the drought much better than those planted up at the farm on cra :o :P soil. The R. viscosum flower buds are showing color and drying-up at same time. We still have R. arborescens georgianum (July), what we call the 'Summer of Love' deciduous azaleas (All very young plants, late June, July and August), and R. viscosum var. serrulatum (September) coming on. This year who knows?
The Ag customers have a meeting with the irrigation district on June 23. There has been plenty of saber rattling from the irrigation district so I'm glad that I'm down sizing. Well, change is one thing that I can depend on.
Roma, thanks for sharing the beautiful azalea photographs.
John, thank you for sharing your expertise.
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As far as hybrids go one really can't beat 'Mist Maiden' for good behaviour, hardiness and reliable flowering. Here it grows in the section of the city known as Boulderwood and this is an off year which I much prefer to being engulfed in flowers. This old plant was received from David Leach just about the time he selected the plant, circa 1963. It is 7ft high and 12+ft across and with this cool weather the flowers are lasting forever. When we tour this area people asked me "My plant isn't going to get that big is it?". To which I reply "not if it dies first, if it lives figure twice as big in as long." You see in the late 70's or early 80's the septic truck backed over it and took out half the plant, which was stuck back in the ground and lived for a year or so!
johnw - +13c, fog, damp, showers, grey miserble but the rhodos look great.
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The garden is not devoid of rhododendron flowers. A R. glanduliferum aff. from the RSF. It must be 2 meters tall now. It takes the heat and is still managing a few flowers with 30 - 40 % less water this season.
I can't say the same for this R. viscosum that wants to bloom - just not enough water this year.
There is still some nice new growth. R. makinoi.
And then there are those that struggle and burn from the lack of water. The older growth burned when it was 40c last week. :P
R. macabeanum is hanging in there. It seems a bit tougher and might even make it without much leaf burn. I'll see how it is by October ::)
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Three from today:
Rhododendron 'Milky Way'
Lilium lophophorum ACE#1767 from Ardfearn - too bright
Rhododendron camtschaticum white form from Glendoick
Rhododendron tsariense
The white camtschaticum required 4 attempts, this the 4th and last, it seems as vigorous as the type.
johnw - 15c and sunny
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Well, you know I love the Rhodos - but what a fab HUGE pot of Lilium lophophorum - very nice!
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Well, you know I love the Rhodos - but what a fab HUGE pot of Lilium lophophorum - very nice!
Absolutely!!!
A superb pot of lophophorum John!
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A couple of shots of the lophophorums from a week ago. With this cool weather these fellows keep hanging on. Glad you enjoyed them, even the green unopened buds are a treat.
johnw
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Probably the last to flower and at 5/6 metres high the largest Rhodo in the garden. R Polar Bear which has a tree like habit and a great scent just doesn't like too much sun so it is OK at present ::)
Sorry very duifficult to show the overall plant as it is surrounded by other plants
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A statuesque plant, Ian - and aren't the individual blooms lovely? 8)
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A statuesque plant, Ian - and aren't the individual blooms lovely? 8)
Yes it's a nice surprise at this time of year but it often gets scorched :(. It seems a bit earlier than usual
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It is difficult to stay upright these days with the photos that arrive from Jens Birck in Copehagen.
Here is selection of R. pseudochrysanthum which he aptly calls 'White Rim'.
johnw
24c & sunny
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No need to get up after that, here is Jens' photo of the relatively new R. huanum at the RSBG. Due to an error it was known as huianum after Hu but has recently been corrected to huananum.
johnw
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Good to see 'Polar Bear' Ian. I had no idea the foliage was so fine.
johnw
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Merciful heavens- you're right John, hard to comprehend the quite amazing plants JB grows - just as well we are sitting down when we see the pictures. 'White Rim' is just breath-taking.
The colour of R. huanum is really different - and that angle of the photo is super - I'm thinking dancing girls!
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Youy right about the angle Maggi, especially delectable are those turquoise bits at the base of the calyx. Who would have guessed?
johnw
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From Logan Botanic Garden : http://www.rbge.org.uk/the-gardens/logan (http://www.rbge.org.uk/the-gardens/logan)
"Rhododendron kawakamii from Taiwan in full flower at Logan. Member of Pseudovireya series it is rarely seen in UK. "
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R. auriculatum - Beat-up from the drought and blooming about a month late. Generally this plant blooms the first week in July.
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R. prunifolium - This one is looking good despite drought.
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Hi Robert,
you give me hope that I may one day get some rhodies to grow and bloom here if they have survived your drought so far!
cheers
fermi
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Hi Robert,
you give me hope that I may one day get some rhodies to grow and bloom here if they have survived your drought so far!
cheers
fermi
Fermi,
I have to admit that I am amazed at how well the rhodies are holding up. This part of the garden is getting the least amount of water and attention right now. When I see the Davidia wilting it is time to get the irrigation on.
I'm also impressed by the range of plants that you grow in your garden! Maybe if I pay attention I can learn something. Our climatic condition seem similar - I could ask many questions but will restrain myself. The bulbs are very much of interest to me - Thanks for all the photos.
I do have some hand pollinated seed of Rhododendron cumberlandense coming on if you want to give them a try.
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This is quite unexpected and very exciting.
Rhododendron camtschaticum album
Seed from SRGC sown in January 2012 and flowering now! I don't remember how many germinated but only one survivor. It's been in the greenhouse all summer and has got very hot at times.
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Success! Congrats Roma - that's today's triumph, eh?
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Roma - I struggled for years to get the white camtschaticum going. Countless deaths while the pinks, purples and reds were no problem at all. Now the surviving white one is the best of the lot.
johnw
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My whites (2) were from Sutherland seed (Ardfearn) which was donated a few years ago to Otago Alpine Garden Group, so perhaps that was your source too Roma. They flower quite well each year and set seed which comes 100% true to colour. I find the white SOOO much easier and more vigorous than the pinks and purples (thanks JW) which are doing all right but very, very slowly, no flowers yet and will always be much tinier plants. In autumn the whites have gold colouring in their foliage whereas the coloured forms always go scarlet/crimson. The white is easy to propagate from seed but also from layers taken from underneath the mound. I did this when I had to lift them to move and potted up about 50 plants!
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We were at the FCHS Spring Show today and took these pics:
Rhodo bench and some individuals,
cheers
fermi
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The Blue Ribbon winner 'Penny whistler'
more individual stems
'Nuigini Firebird'
another individual stem
cheers
fermi
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More of the bench
cheers
fermi
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I was so taken by the back of these I never took any close-ups of the open flowers!
Rh. himantodes,
cheers
fermi
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I was so taken by the back of these I never took any close-ups of the open flowers!
Rh. himantodes,
cheers
fermi
Sooooo pretty. These pix have cheered up a wet sunday, fermi , thanks!
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From Simon "@gardenboi" in Sydney on Twitter:
Rhododendron veitchianum from Burma, Thailand and Laos. Spring Walk RBGSydney
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Maggi - Darned if I can read that label! You?
johnw
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Maggi - Darned if I can read that label! You?
johnw
Sorry John, I managed to lose the name in posting - fixed it now - photos were labelled Rhododendron veitchianum
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Had to show this - from the Twitter page by Jenny of the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park :
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"Rh. zaleucum .... bright white unders ... reminds me of brie but with scaly dimples :) "
Isn't that a great description?
http://www.himalayangarden.com/ (http://www.himalayangarden.com/)
The Hutts,
Grewelthorpe,
Ripon,
HG4 3DA
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Saw Reginald Farrer's original Rhododendron plantings at Ingleborough Hall recently whilst on holiday in the Lake District, which have now been cleared of Rhododendron x superponticum. Must go back when they are in flower!
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Rhododendron radians is flowering now in the polytunnel.
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Very pretty Ralph. Isn't it normally a Spring flowerer? I presume it lives in your polytunnel all year round?
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Yes it does. In my experience the Vireyas can flower at any time of year.
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Yes it does. In my experience the Vireyas can flower at any time of year.
Their ability to rebloom through the year is one of the reasons I am so excited by Vireyas and would dearly love to have space for them under glass.
I expect you've got a lack of Indonesian pollinators for that gorgeous plant, Ralph? ::) ;)
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......I am so excited by Vireyas and would dearly love to have space for them under glass........
Ah, need to negotiate (read clobber) with the BD mmm :P
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Johan Nilsson has tweeted this photo from Gothenburg Boatnic Garden - Ian's off there tomorrow- hope the looks out for them!
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Johan wrote :" The 20 year old Rhododendron roxianums looks good all year around! Collected on the KGB expedition '93
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Forgive me but every year I extoll the virtues of this vireya 'Tropic Glow' x saxifragoides. After many years it is still the size of a grapefruit and this year every terminal has a bud. We will have flowers the winter long. I've seen it and its sister at RBGE so it is over there.
johnw
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Rhododendron yakushimanum 'Percy Wiseman' has decided to flower out of season.