Rhododendrons and Azaleas
The bulk of our Rhododendrons and Azaleas are blooming right now. The Mountain Azaleas are just starting now so I'll post those pictures at a later date. I'll try to post the names of ones I know or have the tags of, as time permits.
posted by Ki at
5:07 AM
8 Comments:
Lovely! You are lucky they grow so well where you live. We can't grow them in Southern California at all!
Hi Sheila,
Thanks. They are beautiful especially when the shrub is covered with blossoms.
You need to move several hundred miles north to Seattle. Rhododendrons grow wonderfully there. :)
I don't believe your garden actually exists.
It is just not possible to have so much in one place.
We sometimes go to the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) garden in Wisley, the best-stocked garden in the UK. Even they don't have as much variety as you do.
( I have one Azalea, in a pot. )
Hi Joco,
We ascribe to the one square inch philosophy of landscaping - leave no square inch unplanted :)
In a few years our yard will resemble a jungle. I'm sure the RHS has many more varieties by far. It just seems we have a lot (and we do) because I post pictures of them.
If you really want to see variety check out Iboy's blog.
"( I have one Azalea, in a pot. )" But you have the perfect climate for Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Why do you have only one?
They are such stunning plants. I have killed many but I do have one that flourishes underneath a dogwood tree.
Hi Phillip,
Unfortunately, we've also killed many, mainly by planting them in less than ideal locations or lack of water during a drought. One large specimen almost died because the redbud that was supposed to shade it never did well itself and eventually died leaving the rhododendron in full sun.
Of the ones that were in ideal locations and still managed to die, I noticed the root development was lacking. It seemed the roots did not extend much beyond the original root ball in the pot. We usually amend the soil especially when planting Rhodos and azaleas because of their shallow roots so I don't know why the failure to thrive. I do notice many of the plants sold are potted in a very loose mix of potting soil that dries very quickly. These require constant watering if you keep the rootball intact. Since I've lost too many plants by forgetting to water them, I now remove almost all the potting soil around new plants, spread the roots and plant them in our much more moisture retentive native soil. I find I have much less plant loss that way.
I'm surprised you can grow them in such warm climes.
Ki, Your Azaleas are a treat to see. There is such a variety of colours. They all look so healthy. I'm looking forward to seeing more photographs.
Hi Kate,
The mountain azaleas are just starting to bloom so I'll post those pictures soon. I'm surprised at the number of plants we have in the yard. I guess this year is a great one for Rhododendrons - unfortunately the great flush of blooms has revealed the madness of our acquisitiveness.
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