Show us your Rhododendrons

Hello chums, a few pics of some of mine. Please don't ask me to name them!

















They're not looking as good as some years, dunno why that is? Anyway, it's still nice for the stunning flowers at this time of year

 

They look lovely and healthy Freddy

Mine have been a bit stingy with the flowers this year, not sure why.

 

It's that time of year when the Rhodos start flowering

Only one early one so far - dwarf Rhodo Praecox



I seem to be amassing quite a collection. So far I have:

Larger hybrids
Firelight
Tortoiseshell Champagne
Marcel Menard
Van
Hotei
Praestans
Rothschildii
Purple Passion
Pelopidas
Rabatz
Horizon Monarch
Percy Wiseman

Dwarf Rhodos
Baden Baden
Bow Bells
Patty Bee
Williamsianum
Praecox
Oban

Azaleas
Anneke
Marinja
Denny's Rose
Berryrose

Plus a few other unnamed ones.

I am after one or two more - Polar Night and Bergie Larsen (v hard to find so may have to start hunting in Autumn). Quite like Black Magic as well.

 

I have just one azalea in a tub called "Adonis" it is just coming into little buds!!! These rhodos of yours are absolutely stunning, if only I had more space...............!!

Val

 

I have one Rhodo at the moment, a R sinogrande. Will be a long time before it flowers.

I had another non-descript hybrid, but it seemed to be getting a bit leggy, so I dug it up last summer.

 

I know it's a bit early and I have donated my earliest flowerer (Praecox pictured above) and a Williamsianum to my next door neighbour as her front border was looking a bit sparse She doesn't look after them properly so I have to do a bit of guerilla gardening and water/feed them over the fence (as well as the poorly Roses she has growing alongside them)

Lots of buds on mine this year so hoping for a good showing.

 

Got a couple of new varieties for this year:

Lodauric Iceberg (which is scented)
Polarnacht

 

The colour of Polarnacht looks amazing Merleand the scented Lodauric iceberg sounds really interesting..

 

I warn you friend, once you give your heart to a Rhodo there's no going back I'm at 25 and counting

They need a lime free soil (moist acid soil pH3.5 - 6.0 is best), but can easily be grown in ericaceous compost in planters, as most of mine are. They need a slow release feed and mulch once a year in March but are pretty much disease and pest free. They prefer dappled sunlight or part shade so are perfect for those shadier corners of the garden where they won't encroach on your Roses. I have grown some dwarf varieties in full sun and they did fine, but the yellow varieties tend to like more shade than others. Any questions, just ask!

 

I got mine from Aldi last year, it's a dwarf white which was reduced to 2.99. At the moment it's in a bit of a dry, sunny border which I want to have hot colours in future. When would be best to move it? The buds are small at the moment.

 

Hello all and particularly merleworrld, thanks for your interesting thread. This rhodo was here when I bought the house so I have no idea which it it is. It was in a shallow bed in full sun and looking quite sickly, so I moved it to a shady moister spot thinking that would help it. However I hadn't realised what a perishing wind cuts across that area and although it grew quite a lot and looked much happier after it's first summer there, it has now dropped a lot of it's leaves and the remaining ones look burnt, which I assume is wind damage. So it's going to have to go traveling again as it is on the lip of a ditch so I can't plant anything to shelter it. It'll be a very well travelled plant lol. If anyone has an idea of what it might be I'd be a very happy bunny

 

I'd probably wait a month or so and do it in early spring

 

Could be a number of things (possibly roots are too wet if it's next to a ditch). Have a look here for advice. Whatever it is it's obvious the plant doesn't like it there so I think you are right to move it.