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Category: Rhododendron

Grewelthorpe Himalayan Garden Images

Grewelthorpe Himalayan Garden Images

The Himalayan Garden at Grewlthorpe continues to mature and develop. It is great to see a wide range of trees allowed to grow their natural size without undue lopping or arbocultural work.
A new arboretum will opened at the end of May 2017 and the  autumn season is well  worth a special visit. The hydrangea and sculptures are also looking great.

As ever the sculptures are excellently located and seem to breed in number every time I visit.

Rhododendrons are the key feature for me that makes return spring visits a must.

Landscape views from the many well located paths are set to delight.


The artist Subodh Kerkar has several new installations at the Himalayan garden in North Yorkshire, many miles from his home in Goa.  I couldn’t say what type of tree trunks these 18 carefully and vertically  place ‘logs’ were!

Even walking through the gap I was still stumped. The message on these ‘Logs of Dialogue’ is that ‘terrorism is a product of non-communication between  nations, groups, regions religions and ideologies’.

Take a leaf out of another sculptural installation. Or take another leaf from my inspiration and visit these Grewelthorpe gardens, infant arboretum and sculpture trail during April or May or October for autumn colour.

Rhodo labels & Records

Rhodo labels & Records

Widgeon

Kenneth Cox at Glendoick   Offers some of the best advice on rhododendron identification and recording. …..Using GPS handheld devices would allow reasonably accurate mapping to made by taking positional readings in each area of the garden and recording what is planted there. If you want  you can then allow garden visitors to access these records on their own devices. There is no limit to the interactive potential if you are prepared to invest time and money…..

The three best examples of private (as opposed to botanic garden) record keeping I have seen outside the major botanic gardens are Philip de Spoelberch’s collections at Herkenrod in Belgium, Lord Howick’s collection in Northumberland and the late James Russell’s plantings at Ray Wood, Castle Howard, Yorkshire. All of these gardeners believe passionately in the value of accurate and detailed records……

Rhododendron Golden Eagle Label at YSP

Labels

  1. To a gardener a label should be easily seen unobtrusive, legible, long lasting and easilt fixed so that it is not broken off by wind or clumsy gardener. To a plant seller the label is designed for one purpose, to relieve you of your cash.
  2. I am still seeking the ideal label and hate those little white plastic sticks that become too brittle.
  3. The longest lasting labels are embossed metal labels I have some thin copper labels to scratch the details into but they are hard to see. Glendoick recommend aluminium labels written on with a soft pencil tend to last well
  4. Beware of label death, where a branch or stem is girdled metal, by the failure to loosen a label as the plant grows.
  5. Dymo labels are surprisingly long lasting
  6. Most botanic gardens use expensive engraved labelled on UV stabilised plastic or modified acrylic laminate.
Strulch does well in Pots

Strulch does well in Pots

Widgeon

Strulch is an organic mulch made from straw with embedded minerals. I made use of a lot of Strulch this spring and it has done a good job in several ways most visibly on the plants grown in pots.

Pot Plants With Strulch

  • Strulch mulch reduces weed growth by up to 95% but as you see a couple of weeds poked through. However, they were easy to hand weed the recalcitrants.
  • In the hot dry spring the pots needed a lot of watering but the mulch  helped retain moisture around plants.
  • Enriching the soil and its structure as it slowly decomposes is not critical to pot plants but there are some benefits. I would have added some straw to my homemade compost if it was available.
  • Even with my thin layer it lasts up to two years saving water and fertiliser but next year I will make the layer a bit thicker.
  • As claimed there was no sign of Slugs and Snails so I will try to use it on my dwarf hostas next spring.
  • The light brown appearance was aesthetically pleasing and seemed neat and tidy.
Rhododendron Birds

Rhododendron Birds

Widgeon

Rhododendron Widgeon was been beaten to a great post by Jo Hanslip on insane journal

‘The Glendoick Bird Hybrids

The Bird series of dwarf rhododendrons were developed at Glendoick Gardens, in Scotland, and are classified as Dwarf Lepidote Hybrids.

The great plant hunters Ludlow and Sherriff returned to Britain in the 1950s. George Sherriff and his wife started a garden only 50km away from Glendoick and they became great friends of the Coxes. On an early visit to their home, Ascreavie, Peter Cox spotted a dwarf yellow-flowered rhododendron species with enormous bowl-shaped flowers for the size of the plant which turned out to be … Rhododendron ludlowii.

The Sherriffs allowed Peter to take some pollen home, which he applied to R. chryseum …  In due course, the hybrid R. ‘Chikor’ was selected and named from this cross and … given an Award of Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society.

A chikor is a game bird and this started the theme of naming all dwarf lepidote hybrids after birds, another prime interest of Peter’s. From then on, several dwarf crosses were made every year with Kenneth Cox starting to make his own crosses in the early 1980s. There are now 30 Glendoick birds which are popular with gardeners and rhododendron collectors in many parts of the world.

BRAMBLING 90cm. New Glendoick hybrid with brightest pink flowers in multiple clusters in April. Fine dark foliage.
CHIFF CHAFF 60cm. Masses of creamy yellow flowers in early May. A neat bush with handsome dark foliage. One of the original bird hybrids, raised in the 1960s.
CHIKOR 30cm. Bright yellow flowers in May. The first Glendoick Bird hybrid. Compact twiggy growth. Needs cool roots & good drainage.
CRANE 75cm. Creamy-white flowers in April. Hardy, very free-flowering and easy to please. One of the best white dwarf hybrids. …

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Pruning Deciduous Azalea and After Care

Pruning Deciduous Azalea and After Care

Azalea Mollis aka Rhododendron sinensis

This species of plants originate in central China. The closely related species R. molle japonicum come from Japan. Both these deciduous varieties are relatives of the popular Ghent and Knapp Hill hybrids.

They are one of our favourite flowering plants with bold, colourful, spring blooms that are not hidden by lime green leaves that appear around flowering time.

A North American variety R. calendulaceum is called the “Flame azalea” due its fiery orange colours and autumn leafs. R. luteum is not surprisingly yellow.

Pruning Azalea

  • Where possible avoid pruning but if needs must then wait until flowering has finished.
  • Water the shrub and keep it well watered through late spring until autumn.
  • Take out dead or damaged wood with sharp secateurs.
  • If reshaping or drastic pruning is needed expect to loose the flowing capacity for one or two seasons.
  • Thin water shoots from the base can be thinned in number to encourage the others.
  • Remove one older stalk to create light space and shape if you must.

Azalea

After Care

  • After care will help the plant recover from shock.
  • Apply an ericaceous acid plant fertiliserlike miracle-gro specially formulated for azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, dogwoods and magnolias. Feed through summer.
  • Mulch around the base of the shrub.
  • Other acidifying feeds and treatments include vinegar, ammonium sulfate, iron sulfate or flowers of sulfur but take care as some may burn the shrubs.
  • Dress the top soil with peat or an ericaceous compost

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Rhododendron Pink Pearl

Himalayan Gardens in Yorkshire HG4 3DA

Himalayan Gardens in Yorkshire HG4 3DA

In Yorkshire we are lucky to have several gardens designed using the theme of a Himalayan Garden. The Hut near Ripon at Grewlthorpe is   ‘The Himalayan Garden’ with all the plants you would expect in such a setting including

Rhododendrons both Hybrid and Species over 50 varieties
Evergreen and Deciduous Azaleas
Eucryphia varieties growing 10′ – 30′ as trees and large shrubs
Magnolias and Camellias
Cornus
Bamboo
Primulas and Meconopsis
Himalayan garden Grewelthorpe Meconopsis7
Visit between April and June for the best colour display.


…

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Rhododendrons and the Danger of Frost.

Rhododendrons and the Danger of Frost.

Frost damaged Rhododendron
My Rhododendrons were in full bloom when a late frost caught them quite badly.
Winter has been wet and mild but if the USA is anything to go by hard frosts may still be on the way so look after your early flowering Rhododendrons.

early-rhododendron

Although Rhododendron ‘Nobleanum’ displays its pink flowers intermittently throughout the winter, the season really begins with a few early bloomers like Rhododendron dauricum after Christmas and continues until Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’ calls it a day in August. The main flowering period tends to be late April and early May. This unnamed plant was in full bloom in Durham botanic garden on 1st March 2009.

 

frosted rhododendron
‘More frost damage on an Early Rhododendron’

Tips to Avoid Frost Damage

    • There is no cure after frosting has occurred but waiting for next year.
    • Avoid planting in a frost pocket. Frost flows, like water, downhill
    • Plant under light shade which will offer some frost protection and the Early Rhododendrons will still flower and thrive.
    • For small specimen shrubs it may be worth covering with horticultural fleece if a cold snap is predicted.

Himalayan garden Grewelthorpe Rhododendron

Ancient Mariners Rhododendrons

Frost Hardy

This picture shows what I call the rime of the ancient mariner as I groweth one of three. Most Gardeners look after the great and small, both bird and beast……

Farewell, farewell! but this I tell
To thee, thou Wedding-Guest!
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small; ……

Rhododendrons and Scotland

Rhododendrons and Scotland

Arduaine Garden in Scotland is well-known in international Rhododendron circles for the number of wonderful species grown here, many of which are considered tender elsewhere and grow unusually under a canopy of mature Japanese larch. To some people, rhododendrons are those unpleasant purple-flowered objects which clog up our native woodlands. This is but one species, Rhododendron ponticum or a hybrid of it which spreads rapidly both by seed and sucker.
Buds on Rhododendron …

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Rhododendron Sappho Labels

Rhododendron Sappho Labels

Rhododendron Sappho bud

I just purchased a new containerised Rhododendron named ‘Sappho’. The picture on the label is of white flowers with spotted purple centres. There are lots of buds, about 20, and they are looking lilac.  I thought of taking it back as that was not the colour I wanted.

Now the buds are opening I think it will be worth keeping and should fit in with my planting scheme.

Four Language Label

  • The label has minimal information but what there is can be translated. A pictured sun and sun half blached out must mean suitable for sun or partial shade.
  • A flower symbol V-VI implies it flowers late in May or June. Good that was what I was after and that seems to be how it is performing.
  • A vertical arrow and 1.5m says it will grow 4-5 feet high and possibly wide.
  • A complex symbol with a cross through it may signify no pruning
  • Strangely it is named as an Azalea for decoration do not consume. Submerge pot in a bucket of water for 10 minutes then plant in the garden. Fair advice.
  • The symbolic language may be classed as a fifth language since Esperanto never took off.

Rhododendron Sappho

Research on Sappho

  • Mauve buds open to lovely white flowers with a conspicuous dark purple, almost black, blotch.

…

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Blazing Deciduous Azaleas

Blazing Deciduous Azaleas

Autumn is the best time to plant Azaleas so you get a blaze of colour next spring. If you want to see the colour before you buy than aim for a pot grown plant in spring.

Azalea & Aquilegia

Deciduous Azaleas have trumpet shaped flowers in a range of bright often fiery colours. The flowers appear before or at the same time as the leaves.

Types of Deciduous Azalea

  • The Ghent hybrids are generally fragrant plants growing 4-6′ tall.
  • Knapp Hill hybrids, Exbury and Mollis Azaleas do not have much scent but are available in vivid colours.
  • Occidentale hybrids have fragrant pastle coloured flowers in May.

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