IN THE GARDEN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 367, 31 October 1932, Page 7

IN THE GARDEN

cultivation RHODODENDRONS REQUIRE REGULAR MULCHING AND HOEING. PLANTINQ SEEDLINGS. The various species and varieties of rhododenrons are among the most colourful of our hardy shrubs, and as they vary in height and size from the tiny alpdnes only a few inches tall, to the large tree forms upwards of 30ft when fully grown, there are kinds suitable for all gardens. Being evergreen they are suitable for forming a permanent sereen or sheltei^and even when not in flower their f oliage is interesting, with the shoots terminated hy the fat buds giving promise of a display of colour later on. With a representative eollection one can have flowers from midwinter, when Nobleannm starts to come out, to well on in the following January, when Maddeni provides both colour and perfume. There i; a wonderful range of colour s from pure whits to deepest crimson, with a great range of pinks and a number of yellows. They wiil grow in any kind of soil except one impregnated with' lime or j other alkaline suhstance, provided it j gets the proper- treatment. Thin : gravels and sand can he made snit- | S able hy the addition of loam, p'eat, | j and leafmould, and stiff clays can he I opened up and drained by deeP culti- j J vation and tbe addition of peat and ! I leafmould. They like a moist atmos- j ! phere with plenty 'of moisture at their j roots, but cannot stand stagnant |

water, land if the position in which ; they are to be grown is swampy they ; should he elevated above the surround- j ing country. Shelter from cold wind j is also essential — not that the foliage j will suffer much, but the flowers are j so liable to be damaged just when at 1 their best— -and a light shade, such as is provided hy deep-rooting dqeiduous trees such as scarlet oaks, cherrie's, ; laburnums, and the native fuehsia, all ; of which let in the sun during the wiri- ; ter and provide a thin shade during ; summer is a distinct advantage. j When planted in grass a circle vary- i ing in diameter according to th'e size ! of fhe plants should be kept hoed and | cultivated, but as the best roots are j at or near the surfaee, it is not ad- j visable to dig deeply round them. ; Mulching is the most important opera- j tion in their cultivation, and this 1 should be provided early in the spring j and renewed from time to thne during | the summer and tutumn. Any kind of j material which will rot and keep the surfaee soil moist will do, lawn mow- I ings being specially suitable, with' leafmould, straw, hay, and well-rotted manure, either cow or horse. An | excellent mulch is composed of one- i half well-rotted cow manure and onehalf rotted grass or compost heap (which has not been limed) this performing the" double purpose of feeding the roots and keeping them cool. Rhododendrons can be shifted at all times if carafully handled, even wh'en in flower, but probably the best time is early autumn. Mr. Cox, in his hook on rhododendrons for amateurs, divides them into five groups according to the vigour of their growth and the size of their foliage, but I will only make three groups: (1) The smallgrowing alpine species; (2) the larger growing species; and (3) the hybrids. i Those in the first section are suitable | for growing in small gardens, on rock ! gardens and banks, the following be- : ing some of the best available: Impe1 ditum is a very dwarf spcie, native of ; China, hearing masses of rich violet j flowers with purple filaments. Very j suitable for the rock garden. Racej mosum is a variahle species ranging | | in height from a few inches to three | feet. It is very florif erous, with small | i flowers of a pleasing shade of pink I j and very effective when massed on ■ I the rock garden or in a horder. Cin- ! ) naharnium has distinct and striking j foliage and orange tubular flowers of j ! cinnibar red. Royalii is a handsome j I species from Sikkim, with metallic i green foliage and rosy-red flowers covered with glaucous bloom resem-% hling a small lapageria. Rubigin-:| osum has clusters of rosy-pink flowers !

spotted with maroon. Yunnanensis 1 has white to pale pdnk flowers with a i few crimson markings, a very beau- | tiful and floriferous species. Hippophoides is a striking species from Yunnan, smothered with trusses of bright lavender-blue flowers. Y,anthium is very free flowering, its colour being purple-crimson. Villosum has rosy-purple flowers, which, like the foliage and shoots, is covered with i hairs. Scarsiae has numerous bell- j sh'aped flowers, pale rose colour. Dech- | mium has white flowers with violet I and brown spots. .Ambigium has lemon-yellow flowers faintly spotted. Ciliatum is probably thd hest known of the dwarf species. It forms pounded sp'ecimens which ,are simply covered with pale bluish-pink flowers fading to white when old. Very suitable for small gardens and rockeries. Davidsonianum is a showy species with white flowers flushed with pink and speckled with' hright crimson markings on the upper lip of the corolla. Lutescens has lemon-yellow flowers freely produced. Ferruginium has small rose flowers and is suitable for the rock garden.