Rhododendrons 2014

[Lesley Cox]

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.

[Robert]

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.

[Robert]

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.

[Graham Catlow]

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

[johnw]

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

[Robert]

Before our rain/snow storm another Azalea from the Pearl Series to-date unnamed.

Under 1m after 15 years.

[Maggi Young]

I am enjoying seeing your rather fine range of azaleas, Robert. I think I can pretty well imagine the scent right here!

[Robert]

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. 

[Maggi Young]

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. 

[Robert]

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.

[Maggi Young]

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!

[johnw]

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

[Maggi Young]

Love to hear that feather is flying around so well ...... ;.)

[Graham Catlow]

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.

[Maggi Young]

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?