Rhododendrons 2014

[Robert]

R. auriculatum - Beat-up from the drought and blooming about a month late. Generally this plant blooms the first week in July.



R. prunifolium - This one is looking good despite drought.

[fermi de Sousa]

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

[Robert]

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.

[Roma]

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. 

[Maggi Young]

Success! Congrats Roma - that's today's triumph, eh?

[johnw]

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

[Lesley Cox]

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!

[fermi de Sousa]

We were at the FCHS Spring Show today and took these pics:
Rhodo bench and some individuals,
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

The Blue Ribbon winner 'Penny whistler'
more individual stems
'Nuigini Firebird'
another individual stem

cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

More of the bench
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

I was so taken by the back of these I never took any close-ups of the open flowers!
Rh. himantodes,
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

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!

[Maggi Young]

From  Simon "@gardenboi" in Sydney on  Twitter:

Rhododendron veitchianum from Burma, Thailand and Laos. Spring Walk  RBGSydney

[johnw]

Maggi - Darned if I can read that label! You?

johnw

[Maggi Young]

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