Rhododendrons in the Island Garden

 

“The genus Rhododendron includes  thousand species native to habitats around the world.  I have a  few rhohodendrons in my Island Garden: The first rhododendron to bloom in the spring with  splashing colour is rhododendron “Taurus” which is an early blooming variety and real crowd stopper. Originally I bought 2 plants but now have several “babies” from these plants which are still in pots and have not bloomed yet.   

Rhododendron “Taurus”  by  hybridizer Mossman  parents: ‘Jean Marie de Montague’ × R. strigillosum   ==============================================================================================  Picture of our ( now dead) rhododendron  Mrs. G.W. Leak which I am looking to purchase again but so far I cannot find it anywhere. It was a crowd stopper as well. A shocking pink one could not miss. It is still a mystery to me why it died. It was an old rhododendron . It was in a spot that got very wet during the winter. Maybe too wet in the spot  where it grew and its roots rotted. Rhododendrons are very finicky plants. The soil condition must be just right otherwise they will grow but not thrive.

Mrs. G.W. Leak  A hybrid of Dutch origin, introduced by Koster in 1916, named after his wife, Mrs. G. W. Leak  Parents: ‘Coombe Royal’ × ‘Chevalier Felix de Sauvage’     =========================================================================================== Rhododendron Elsie Watson will replace  R. G.W. Leak for now but it will take many years to reach a decent size.  I bought it in a gallon pot last year and repotted it in the ground where Mrs. G.W. Leak used to be. It has much softer appearance than Mrs. Leak.   I think I will put one of the variegated leaf rhododendrons close to it.  Maybe ” President Roosevelt” or ‘Goldflimmer’ . The “President Roosevelt” has sort of similar flowers but the outline is red and the leaves are lighter variegated green. The ‘Goldflimmer’ has darker variegated leaves and violet flowers.

Rhododendron “Elsie Watson”  (‘Anna’ x ‘Purple Lace’);  1991 by hybridizer Frank Fujioka It is very pretty and it caught  my eye  with its frilly edges, 4″ across, pale purplish-pink with fading to white and dark purple in the throat. The new growth is interesting as well ============================================================================== Rhododendron “Srarlight champagne”.  Parents: ‘Yaku Sunrise’ x ‘Hansel’] x ‘Lem’s Cameo’  Hybridizer: Fujioka 1995 I planted it last year from pot to the ground and it has doubled in size over that time. It has a good spot and I hope it will do well there. It is little unusual and interesting rhododendron with its creamy yellow blossoms ( deep red throat and prominent red streaking spotting) and pointed petals. I partially bought it because the leaves come out red in the spring but will turn green during the summer. ========================================================================================   Rhododendron “Blue Boy.”   Parents: (‘Blue Ensign’ x ‘Purple Splendor’)  Bred by Elsie Watson…..  Elsie Watson was founder of the ARS’s Northwest Hybridizers Group. She lived in Kirkland, Washington .   I bought it at the  local  rhododendron grower just down the road from us about 6 years ago.  A detail of Rhododendron Blue Boy ============================================================================ My new and special Rhododendron Rex. This will be a large, tree like rhododendron if it survives. Planted summer 2014. I gave it  lots of space in the forest. The colour under the leaves is velvety brown and the new growth is silvery and fuzzy. It has pale pink or white flowers blotched and spotted crimson but I will have to wait for these. ============================================================================= Rhododenrdon “Nancy Evans ” Parents:  “Hotei” x “Lem’s Cameo”  bred by Ned Brockenbrough I love this rhododendron but it does not do well for me. I have it for 2 years but it did not grow a bit and seems to suffer. I will wait until next spring to see if it will recover. I have a problem with deer and this one (of many) was browsed last winter. Deer used to ignore my rhododendrons but last winter they chewed lots of them.   =========================================================================== Another rhododendron I really love is called ‘Hoppy’. This Yakushimanum hybrid rhododedendron is one of the famous seven dwarf series bred at Waterers and no it is not a dwarf specimen Ours is about 8′ high.  It was named after the Seven Dwarfs ( as in Snowhite and seven dwarfs). “Hoppy” was really    “Happy” but was mislabelled at the beginning of its existence. Lavender flowers fading to pure white.  ( I also have R. Sneezy from this series) degronianum ssp. yakushimanum x ‘Doncaster’ selfed

 

 Detail of rhododendron Hoppy =================================================================================   ” Ostbos’s low yellow”  by hybridizer Endre Ostbo  It  lives in a pot for the past 6 years. One day I will find a spot for it in the landscape.  Pretty rhododendron with apricot buds that open to reveal cream and pale yellow blooms . =============================================================================== “Blue Peter”   Cold hardy rhododendron which also tolerates lots of sunlight and heat. Dispite its name It is not quite blue. It is pale violet  (lavender) with maroon throat and frilly edges. Individual flowers  which are large and reminds me of an orchid. Hybridizer: Waterer and Crisp, unknown parentage, introduced in the mid-1930s.  Received the Royal Horticulture Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993  detail =============================================================================== Rhododendron “Halelujah” bread by Harold Greer, owner of Greer Gardens of Eugene Oregon parents are: “The Honourable Jean Marie de Montague” x” Kimberly”  Hot pink rhododendron  was given an Award of Excellence in 1983 ============================================================================== Rhododendron “Horizon Monarch”   Parents:(‘Nancy Evans’ × ‘Point Defiance’  in  1981 Hybridizer : DR. NED BROCKENBROUGH It has  lovely red buds which open to large pale yellow flowers with pink tones. Flowers are very showy. RHS Award of Garden Merit. ============================================================================== Rhododendron “Purple Splendor” by Hybridizer: A.  Waterer Parents: ponticum x unknown   Very striking deep royal purple frilled flowers with dark markings in the throat flowering in late May and June.     =============================================================================== There are several rhododendrons on the property we have inherited and  among them is this bright azalea Gibraltar  . ================================================================================== Another inherited rhododendron I have no name for is this large pink luscious, delicate plant with paper tissue  like flowers. It is large and spindly and right beside the spot where Mrs. GW Leak died .This is how it looks from the distance in early June This is how it looks from the distance in early June ================================================================================ No name Rhododendron by the hillDetail of the buds ============================================================================== Rhododendron “Loderi King George’ (inherited from previous owners) ‘Loderi’ Rhododendrons where developed by Sir Edmund Loder (1849-1920)  by crossing the pollen(male) of species griffithianum with fortunei (female).    This is a magnificent plant with huge fragrant flowers. The buds start pink and later the flowers will fade to white. It blooms in late  May ….early June and it does not bloom for me every year. This rhododendron is worth propagating if one has lots of space. So far I have not had any success in doing so.  It is not suitable for small gardens.  It can grow to over 25 feet and a similar spread. . Rhododendron Loderi ‘King George’ is considered to be one of the finest hybrid rhododendrons. The delicious fragrance of the pink flowers, which quickly turn white, is simply magic. ==============================================================================================================  Rhododendron ‘The Honourable Jean Marie de Montague’  A cross between  r.griffithianum  abd unknown pollinator   Developed in Holland by C.B. van Ness & Sons about 1901 allthough, not in general production until the 1930s  . We have inherited several of these in different locations.   ‘The Honourable Jean Marie de Montague’ by the guest house =============================================================================== White rhododendron  by the driveway (unknown)  The Greek word rhododendron means “rose tree”  =======================================================================   Mooch