My garden has grown as its plants grow — quietly, gradually, and unassumingly. It was started as most gardens are begun — by owners of newly acquired houses. During the first two seasons, we planted tulips, daffodils, roses, pines, and spruces to have a little garden around the house. Two Incidental Facts At that time, … Read more
A full four months of azalea bloom may sound like a gardener’s tall tale. But it becomes a fact when there is a discriminating choice of native azalea species to provide a season of bloom extending from April through August – a claim unchallenged by the new hybrids. These rare and delightful American species have … Read more
Rhododendron atlanticum or Dwarf Azalea is a species of Rhododendron from the Ericaceae, commonly known as the Heaths or Heather family. The Ericaceae family has over 4,000 species of flowering plants in 126 genera distributed virtually worldwide, ranging from small alpine herbs and shrubs to large tropical trees. This makes Rhododendron atlanticum closely related to … Read more
Factors affecting the growth of rhododendrons and azaleas are several, all of which are so bound together as to constitute a balanced system in which the plant’s growth is a measure of the whole. In marginal situations, where one factor or another is unsuitable for these plants, the balance may be upset, the conditions complicated … Read more
On a recent trip abroad, I was privileged to see hundreds of rhododendrons and azaleas, most of which are unknown to the gardens of New England. These are species from the oriental hinterlands, and hybrids have been produced from there. Grown in England, Scotland, and Wales, they are mostly too tender for our cold climate, … Read more
I wanted to grow azaleas twenty-two years ago when I returned to the Midwest after many years of enjoying the green-damp hills of Maryland. Most experienced St. Louis gardeners advised me to stick to iris and water-lilies. Those who had azaleas or had tried to grow them reported: “You can make them live, but the … Read more
Beautiful azaleas are grown in the North Central states despite two handicaps in increasing them. The first is well understood and does not need elaborate discussion: we are primarily in limestone country, and azaleas demand acid soil. The second and far more severe handicap is mycorrhiza. In azalea country, mycorrhizal fungi are taken for granted. … Read more
The Glenn Dale Hybrid Azaleas launched in a cannonade of almost unparalleled publicity years ago. A sensation at the big flower shows, they were the talk of horticultural circles throughout the country. Garden writers in the US and abroad paid them such glowing tribute that the supply of available plants vanished overnight. Any azalea with … Read more
Azaleas are popular plants and can grow from Seattle to Southern California. They are not difficult to grow if properly selected and properly cared for. Here are the proper steps to follow: Grow in peat moss fertilized with cottonseed meal, using 100 pounds of meal to one bale of peat. Light compost, sand, and oak … Read more
One of the difficulties in growing azaleas in many areas west of the Appalachians, in western Pennsylvania and Ohio, for example, is that the soil is not naturally acid and is often alkaline. In addition to this, much of the water supply is hard so it quickly counteracts any artificial acidification of the soil. This … Read more