According to some people, green is the colour of human will, red is the colour of passion, yellow is the colour of friendship and white is the colour of purity.
Trying to find one group of plants that represents all of those ideas and feelings is difficult, but if there is one it would be rhododendrons. Unlike many other shrubs, rhodos come in many sizes, shapes and colours, and they are beautiful and easy to grow.
If you visit a local garden centre there is always a reasonable selection of rhodos. Most of them are the more common species and hybrids found in local gardens. The nursery supply system is based on what wholesale nurseries can grow efficiently and what is thought to be the most popular sellers. There is nothing wrong with those selections - they are good for any garden - but for people with a more discerning taste, the quest to find rhodos that are more exotic or unusual always leads to sources that are a little farther afield.
Fortunately, there is one local group of rhodo experts who regularly offer rhodos for sale. Theirs are rare, more exotic and considerably more beautiful and colourful than their commercial supply cousins'. The Vancouver Rhododendron Society has a long history in our region of promoting the value and virtue of rhodos for coastal gardens.
As a former member, director and newsletter editor, I can honestly say their members have extensive access to unusual sources of plant material supply and they grow some of the most beautiful rhodos in British Columbia. Fortunately for rhodo lovers like me, once each year the society holds an annual plant sale that is open to the public offering a rare opportunity to purchase some cool rhodos.
Before I tell you where and when the society sale is being held this year, let's talk about some of the many uses for rhodos in the garden.
For coastal B. C. gardens, few other plants offer the dependability and versatility that rhodos do. Most rhodos with an average leaf size can be grown in full sun; however, the general rule is largerleaved rhodos need more shade and smaller-leaved rhodos need more sun.
A leaf is essentially a solar collector and therefore when you plant a large-leaved rhodo species in full sun it can burn in our climate due to overexposure. As well, some of the larger-leaved rhodos need some protection from winter temperatures, which is why those species are planted under the shade of large conifers, like cedar, or under deciduous trees, like oak. Small-leaved rhodos are adapted to more sun than their largeleaved cousins and tolerate increased exposure to wind and winter temperatures, which is why you can plant small-leaved rhodo species in full sun.
Contrary to all of the overdone and incorrect information about growing rhodos, they are one of the easiest plants to grow in the garden. Just plant them high, keep them mulched year-round and avoid chemically fertilizing them.
Rhododendrons are arguably one of the best plants to use when trying to build the main body of a garden's design. Most rhodos are evergreen and therefore provide yearround interest and stability to the garden's design.
The colour burst rhodos display in April and May is unparalleled in the plant world and with colours like white, red, purple, pink, fuchsia and yellow, there is one to suit any taste.
The mature height of any given rhodo must be carefully understood when designing with them to avoid the unnecessary and damaging pruning practises that often accompany poorly placed rhodos. Think of layers in the garden when designing with rhodos by using them to fill in the transitional height level between small shrubs or perennials and the taller height of trees.
The creation of layers in the garden is one of the most dynamic and widely used design techniques applied by good landscape designers.
Beyond those design issues, the beauty and exotic look of rhodo leaf type, size and shape is one of the primary reasons that designers and gardeners use rhodos in the garden.
My favourite rhodo leaf type would have to be those leaves that have indumentum, which is a downy, hairy or fuzzy growth that naturally occurs on many species.
Often associated with the Asian rhodos species, indumentum adds considerable beauty and interest to the garden.
To find some rare and unusual rhodos, visit the Vancouver Rhododendron Society annual plant sale at Park Tilford Gardens, 333 Brooksbank Ave., North Vancouver on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a. m. to 3 p. m. Experts will be on hand to answer questions.
For more information about the sale or the society, visit rhodovanbc.org.
Todd Major is a journeyman horticulturist, garden designer and builder, teacher and organic advocate. For advice contact him at [email protected].
