A Grower Perspective

A kaleidoscope of luscious tropical color will be yours this May when you add ‘Golden Gate’ rhododendron to your garden. ‘Golden Gate’ is a compact rhododendron, growing 3’ by 3’. Glowing yellow, vibrant orange and hot pink flowers are set off by the olive green leaves. Imagine what a mass planting of this would do to a garden, pure happiness.

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If purple is the color you want in a rhododendron Lee’s Dark Purple will not disappoint you, it is truly dark purple. Blooming later than most rhododendrons, it continues the purples of the lilacs that have just finished blooming by starting its bloom in late May. As one of the ironclad rhodies, it is able to survive temperatures below -20 degrees. Growing six feet high and six to eight feet wide in ten years, it can fit into all but the tiniest of gardens. The foliage is handsome, dark and wavy and it may bloom twice a year once in May and again in October. Plant in full sun to part shade. The dark purple would be lovely under the bright green leaves and white bark of a jacquemontii birch.

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Charles Dexter had a Cape Cod estate and worked with rhododendrons in his vast garden. One of the hybrids he came up with, known as a Dexter Hybrid, was Scintillation. Clear, pastel pink blooms with green and bronze markings, large green glossy leaves adorn this hardy plant. The photo speaks for its beauty. Plant it in as a hedge, in a container or mixed in the border. This plant is worth removing lawn for. Grows 8’ by 8’ and is deer resistant. Remember to water it in the summer.

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This fantastic photo says what you need to know about ‘Roseum Pink’. Clear bright pink flowers, so lovely on an evergreen bush that grows 5’ by 6’. This is a great size for a specimen plant, front and center, or a substantial easy to keep hedge. Rhododendrons have been used successfully as a flowering privacy screen between closely spaced houses. They are nice to intersperse in the mixed border adding an evergreen element in the winter when many perennials are underground. What rhododendrons like: acid soil, deadheading of spent blooms, full or partial sun, summer water, deer (because they don’t eat them), woodchip mulch and someone to enjoy them.

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Dave and I had the pleasure of attending the NW Flower & Garden Show last week in Seattle, Washington. This was the first year we’ve attended and I must say it was quite impressive.  The show filled up several rooms of the downtown Seattle convention center. The display gardens were absolutely stunning.  Huge. I couldn’t begin to imagine how much work must have gone into designing and constructing  these massive gardens inside the convention center.

I was thinking about how to sum up my feelings about this show. I think I went believing that I’d come back with my focus on plants. However, what really struck me at this show was the creativity and inspiration I felt about garden design. I was overwhelmed with the design inspiration I felt about creating outdoor living spaces with everything from plantings, pavers and night lighting to art, accessories and outdoor structures galore. I’ve never felt such a desire to get out into my own garden

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