Rhododendron Catawbiense 'Grandiflorum'

Latin: Rhododendron Catawbiense 'Grandiflorum'
Swedish: Parkrododendron
English: Rhododendron Catawbiense 'Grandiflorum'
Purchased at Plantagen quite a few years ago

7/6-2011

This plant requires sour soil and is therefore to be planted in peat. At the beginning we actually dug a hole and filled it with peat only. Reading about this plant, you are supposed to really only have peat in the area.

7/6-2011

And the hole should also be rather large, otherwise the plant will grow well until the roots reach the "normal soil" and then stop feeling well. Which is more or less what happened here.

One other issue with this plant (and also this I found out the hard way) is that you really have to water it properly in Spring time. Being an evergreen plant that never looses its leaves, it has quite a large area (all the leaves) to evaporate water through. When it is not humid in the ground and maybe also is rather frozen in the soil, the sun will burn the leaves and for that matter also the blossoms/potential blossoms.
This year only a few rather small blossoms bloomed. But it was never how it should be. This is when the shrub had its maximum period of flowering this Spring. Not much indeed.

31/5-2011

I will try again next year with watering at an earlier stage of the Spring. A lot of sources recommend covering the leaves with tissue to avoid evaporation. I personally do not feel it looks very good so I do hope watering will do it.

2/7-2011

This year we have actually refurbished the area around the rhododendron as we felt it was not very practical as it was. The grass (especially the couch grass) could not keep away and grew in together with the plant all the time. In a few days after removal, it was there again. Furthermore, it is said that grass takes away nutrition from the plant itself. So we decided to do a whole flower bed for peat plants. We removed a whole deal of ground and refilled it with peat. The plant seems to have recharged its powers since then. Maybe with good watering, we'll have some enjoyable blooming next year?!

Producer's information
Normal watering and fertilizing
Distance to other plants: 3m
Height: 2,5m
Prefers half shady to shady location.
Blooms in May-June
Winter hardy up to Swedish zone 5

Azalea japonica 'Rosalind'

7/6-2009

We purchased this plant a few years ago. It was in flower when we purchased it and we were very much in love with the "strong" color it had. But the actual charmer were the leaves: rounded form with a green/yellow colour that turns into orange in Automn. It did not fit in in the rest of the garden, but we did not care. We purchased it anyway and put it next to the rhododendrons. It felt right to keep the plants that need peat in one locations.

Everything was fine, until the first really cold winter came in 2009-2010. Then it looked like it had died. It looked dry and hopeless in spring. After a few months, some few greenish leaves became visible and we realised, it had made it. Some branches gave a few flowers, too. The rest got flower mummies (rather cute, but I think they were actually sick or at least impested with undesired fungus. I do not know. We did though not have the heart to throw the poor plant away.
Winter 2010-2011 was as cold and the plant did not do so well either. In spring I removed all flower mummies and somewhat it seemed to get some of its greens back. A few flowers were there, too. Keep it or through it away?!

21/5-2011

Right now, we took it into consideration when "refurbishing" in the garden. But worst case scenario, we'll have to find a substitute for it. Not completely impossible either... :O)
On the other hand, we did not follow the instructions very carefully. E.g. we did not ever remove the faded flowers.

Producer's description
Soak plant in water before planting. Dig hole of twice the width and depth of the ball. Insert plant and fill up with soil. Water well after planting.
Care/cutting: To support flowering of the next year, carefully remove faded flowers.
Flowering time: May/June, pure pink with fine red blotches.
Growth/size: Upright growing, 80cm high and 120cm wide.
Position: Light shade, loose, humus-rich, moist, but well drained soil
Fertilization/nutrition: Use customary commercial fertilizers (few calcareous) in spring and summer.
Hardyness: Frost tolerant (Deb's note: not really true! It did take serious damage each cold winter)