TED and MARY GREIG GARDEN 50 of Interest

1 Rhododendron ‘Aladdin’ gin to emerge in early May. These are held in clusters of 4-10 f owers. Its foliage is small, smooth and dark blu- ‘Aladdin’ is a late-blooming hybrid that has large, wa- ish-green. It has a compact, upright growth habit. termelon-coloured f owers. It is tall, and can be leg- gy and may occasionally require some pruning. This 6 Rhododendron augustinii is a Royston Nursery hybrid that features the desirable characteristics of being scented and summer-bloom- Rhododendron augustinii ing, both of which are highly unusual amongst rhodo- is a rhododendron dendrons. that has delicate f owers that are a nearly iridescent 2 Rhododendron ambiguum shade of pale purple. It has smooth, narrow, dark green Rhododendron ambigu- that have densely um has small, pale yellow scaly undersides. The colour f owers and dark green, of the f owers on a single medium-sized leaves with may vary slightly from year to year. yellowish-brown scales un- derneath. These leaves 7 Rhododendron auriculatum are quite aromatic when crushed or bruised. It has a Rhododendron auriculatum compact, upright habit. is noted for its grand stature and fragrant, extremely 3 Rhododendron ‘Anna Rose Whitney’ late-blooming f owers which appear in July. The f owers ‘Anna Rose Whitney’ is a of the true Rhododendron very dependable rhodo- auriculatum species are dendron for its large, deep typically pure white, or oc- pink f owers held in large casionally pale pink, with rounded trusses. It also has a slight green blotch in the throat, but this particular nice olive-green foliage and specimen is a hybrid and has light salmon-pink f ow- a vigorous habit. It blooms ers. Rhododendron auriculatum has enormous leaves late in the rhododendron – more than a foot long in some cases – and a strong, season, towards the end of tree-like branching pattern. These f nal two character- May. istics make it an impressive plant anytime of the year, regardless of whether f owers are present or not. 4 Rhododendron arboretum Rhododendron auriculatum and its hybrids were a sig- Rhododendron arboretum produces medium-sized nature of Royston Nursery, owned by Ted and Mary pink, cup-shaped f owers that are held in tight trusses Greig – after whom the garden is named and from of 15-20. Its clover-green leaves are smooth, oblong where most of the rhododendrons in this garden came and tough, and have silvery plastered indumentum on from during the 1960s. their undersides. 8 Rhododendron ‘Azor’ 5 Rhododendron ‘Atlanti- cum’ June sees Rhododendon ‘Azor’ develop striking clus- ters of wide salmon-pink f owers with brownish f ecks in Rhododendron ‘Atlanti- the throat. This tall, late-blooming hybrid is not to be cum’ has small, pink, nar- missed. It is very similar to Rhododendron ‘Aladdin.’ rowly tubular f owers which are fragrant and which open just as its leaves be- 1 9 Rhododendron ‘Baden Baden’ 14 Rhododendron ‘Cilpinense’

‘Baden Baden’ is a short, This hybrid is unique in that dense, small-leafed rho- nearly all parts of the plant, dodendron that has bright including both sides of its crimson red f owers with shiny green leaves, are cov- darker centres and wavy ered in short, f ne, copper- margins. It is a hybrid that coloured hairs. It produces was developed in Germa- pale blush pink f owers in ny. March, which are held in loose trusses of 2-3.

10 Rhododendron ‘Beauty of Littleworth’ 15 Rhododendron cinnabarinum x

‘Beauty of Littleworth’ is a Rhododendron cinnabari- splendid rhododendron that num originates from the produces tall, robust white Himalayan Mountains and trusses in May. Each f ower, is one of the species most though mauve in bud, is sought after by rhododen- pure white, with the excep- dron collectors. It is a deli- tion of a purple speckle on cate, elegant plant that its top petal and a pink stig- has beautiful waxy, tubu- ma. It is large, fast-growing lar f owers that range from and can have a rather droopy habit. Its trusses are truly mustard yellow to burnt orange to scarlet, and even enormous; each f ower may grow to be up to 12cm to plum and lilac purple, in some cases. Ironically, the wide and there are typically between 15-18 f owers nectar of these stunning f owers is reputed to be the per truss. most poisonous of any rhododendron. In the spring, its young leaves emerge a beautiful waxy blue-green co- 11 Rhododendron ‘Beethoven’ lour and have a pleasant cinnamon-camphor scent as they unfurl. Rhododendron ‘Beethoven’ is a dense evergreen aza- lea with small dark green leaves. It has rather delicate, 16 Rhododendron ‘Crest’ bright magenta pink f owers with a deeper red blotch, and is quite small in stature, growing only to about a Rhododendron ‘Crest’ has metre tall in 10 years. excellent, large clear yel- low f owers, and is, in fact, 12 Rhododendron ‘Bonf re’ know as one of the best yellow-f owered rhododen- ‘Bonf re’ has brilliant orange- drons available. It can be- red f owers that contrast come quite large, and may with its dull green leaves. grow up to 3 metres tall in In youth it has a very open only 10 years. It is slow to set habit, while with age and f ower buds in youth, but will bud heavily once it is es- in a sunny location it will tablished. become dense and com- pact. 17 Rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s White’

‘Cunningham’s White’ has fairly small but abundant 13 Rhododendron ‘Chionoides’ white f owers which each have a greenish-yellow ‘Choinoides’ has dainty blotch. They are held in loose white f owers with a neat, trusses of about 8 f owers, brilliant greenish-yellow each of which opens from blotch in the middle of a pale pink-tinged bud. Its each. These f owers are dark green leaves are quite held in tight, rounded truss- small compared to those of es. With age, the plant will most rhododendrons, being form a broad, but still com- only about 10cm in length. ‘Cunningham’s White’ is pact . also quite tolerant of poor air quality.

2 18 Rhododendron decorum stead, they have usually mutated into the second set of petals. Rhododendron decorum is noted for its beautiful, abundant, white, fragrant f owers. It also has attrac- 23 Rhododendron fortunei x tive, glossy green leaves that provide interest in the garden, even when no f owers are present. This Rhododendron fortunei hybrid produces beautiful, 19 Rhododendron ‘Electra’ delicate pale pink f owers that gradually fade to near ‘Electra’ has delicate, light white. This particular hybrid purple f owers with light lime possesses a faint water- green centres. It has a dis- melon bubble gum scent tinctive f owering pattern, typical of Rhododendron with each branch end hold- fortunei. It has attractive, ing four trusses of four f ow- broadly oblong blue-green foliage, while its habit is ers. quite open, and almost tree-like. Rhododendron for- tunei was discovered in in the mid 1800s by the plant explorer Robert Fortune, after whom the species was named. 20 Rhododendron ‘Elizabeth’ 24 Rhododendron ‘George Watling’ This is one of the most reli- able of all red rhododen- ‘George Watling’ has beau- drons, and is thus com- tiful, wide, pale primrose monly planted. ‘Elizabeth’ is yellow f owers. In sunlight low-growing, has nice dark at their peak, they seem to green foliage, and prolif c have a bright, almost irides- bright red trusses. It is easy cent glow. Its bright glossy to grow and generally prob- green, ribbed foliage is also lem-free. quite attractive. This hybrid was developed by Ted and 21 Rhododendron ‘Fabia’ Mary Greig at the Royston Nursery on Vancouver Is- land. ‘Fabia’ produces plentiful, bright pinkish-orange cam- 25 Rhododendron ‘Haydn’ panulate f owers. They have a prominent calyx and are Rhododendron ‘Haydn’ is held in loose, downward- another deciduous hanging trusses of approxi- that is rather similar to Rho- mately nine f owers. ‘Fabia’ dodendron ‘Palestrina,’ and has dark, dull-green leaves in this instance the two are with fairly dense, pale brown planted together in a small indumentum. massing. It has delicate, pale lavender-coloured 22 Rhododendron ‘Fatuosum Flore Pleno’ f owers with a subtle reddish speckle and hairless dark green leaves. ‘Fastuosum Flore Pleno’ is an unusual double-f ow- 26 Rhododendron ‘Impi’ ered hybrid, with each indi- vidual looking like it is made Loose trusses of strikingly dark red f owers adorn ‘Impi’ up of two f owers, with the towards the latter part of the rhododendron season. inner petals being smaller It can be distinguished by its red petioles and ruddy and more frilly than those of green leaves. ‘Impi’ has a rather diminutive, prostrate the outer f ower. The f owers stature, growing slowly and close to the ground. each have a greenish-yel- low blotch and are arranged in loose trusses of approx- 27 Rhododendron ‘Lady Clementine Mitford’ imately 15. ‘Fastuosum Flore Pleno’ is a sterile hybrid that has been bred from cuttings and graphs selected ‘Lady Clementine Mitford’ has broad, pale peach- for features that eventually lead to a double f ower. pink f owers and distinctive grey-green leaves. Unlike In most , double f owers have no stamens; in- many rhododendrons it will tolerate sun and heat. 3 28 Rhododendron ‘May Day’ 32 Rhododendron ‘Naomi Hope’

‘May Day’ is another heavy The ‘Naomi’ series of hy- bloomer. For most of the brid rhododendrons are month of May, true to its amongst the most beautiful name, ‘May Day’ will be and elegant of all. ‘Naomi a curtain of red, its tubu- Hope’ has lovely pink f ow- lar-campanulate f owers ers with a hint of mauve. drooping in dense fan-like These widely funnel-shaped trusses. This plant also fea- f owers are fragrant and tures attractive matte green held in trusses of approxi- leaves that have thick, fuzzy, cinnamon brown indu- mately 12-15. ‘Naomi Hope’ is generally a very reliable mentum on their undersides. ‘May Day’ has a rather rhododendron. dishevelled habit, and will grow wider than it will tall. 33 Rhododendron ‘Naomi Nautilus’ 29 Rhododendron ‘Moonstone’ ‘Naomi Nautilus’ is prized Rhododendron ‘Moon- for its extraordinary f ow- stone’ is a Rhododendron ers, which are both large williamsianum hybrid will be and wide and are a colour covered in creamy white somewhere between pale bell-shaped f owers in late pink, peach and cream, April and early May. It has with a trace of soft greenish the compact habit, small yellow in the throat. round leaves and coppery new growth characteristic of williamsianum crosses. Interestingly, the f owers of 34 Rhododendron occidentale ‘Moonstone’ may change colour slightly from year to year, depending on seasonal conditions, ranging from Rhododendron occiden- pale yellow to cream to nearly pure white. tale is one of fewer than two dozen species of rho- 30 Rhododendron ‘Mrs. A.T. de la Mare’ dodendron that are native to North America. Western Rhododendron ‘Mrs. A.T. de azalea, which is decidu- la Mare’ has tightly domed ous, grows in the wild along trusses of slightly fragrant, the Oregon and California frilled white f owers, each of coastlines and has beautiful which has a greenish blotch pink, white and peach f owers and long stamens. In in its throat, after emering mid May, the numerous Rhododendron occidentale from a pale pink bud. It is found in the Greig Garden are at their peak and will quite unique among rhodo- be blanketed in these delicate, wonderfully scented dendrons in that it will toler- blooms. ate full exposure to sun in most instances. 35 Rhododendron ‘Palestrina’ 31 Rhododendron ‘Mrs. Furnival’ Rhododendron ‘Palestrina’ ‘Mrs. Furnival’ has large pink is a compact evergreen f owers with a burgundy azalea that, in mid to late blotch on the upper petal, May, bears loose clusters and drooping leaves. It of 3-4 delicate pure white looks very similar to Rhodo- f owers that have a faint dendron ‘Mrs. G.W. Leak;’ hint of green in the throat. one way that the two can Palestrina’s small, forest be told apart is that ‘Mrs. green leaves are covered G.W. Leak’ f owers two in f ne hairs. weeks earlier than ‘Mrs. Furnival’ and has a slightly darker blotch. 36 Rhododendron ‘Point Def ance’

‘Point Def ance’ has very large, distinctly coloured f ow- ers. They are thick and widely funnel-shaped, white in 4 the centre and red-edged on all lobes, and will even 41 Rhododendron ‘Sappho’ tually fade to nearly pure white. ‘Point Def ance’ likes shade and is quite vigorous, and in time will grow to be ‘Sappho’ has medium-sized quite large. white f owers with a dark purple blotch that are held 37 Rhododendron ‘President Roosevelt’ in fairly dense and rounded trusses. It is a sturdy rhodo- ‘President Roosevelt’ can dendron, but has a tenden- generally be described as a cy to become leggy. variegated rhododendron, as both its leaves and its f owers are multi-coloured. 42 Rhododendron schlippenbachii ‘President Roosevelt’s leaves are large and waxy, Also known as royal azalea, mixed green and char- Rhododendron schlippen- treuse, while its f owers are bachii is a deciduous shrub picotee type, and fade from dark pinkish-red at the with pale rose-pink star- edges to pure white in the middle. shaped f owers that appear early in the season, and 38 Rhododendron ‘Professor Hugo de Vries’ nearly lime green leaves that are arranged in whorls Rhododendron ‘Professor of f ve at each branch tip. In Hugo de Vries’ is notable the fall, its foliage turns various striking shades of crim- for its fairly large, unusually son, orange and yellow. coloured magenta-mauve f owers which appear in 43 Rhododendron ‘Scintillation’ early May. ‘Scintillation’ is another at- tractive, large-f owered, late blooming hybrid rho- dodendron. It has fragrant, 39 Rhododendron ‘Purple Splendor’ pale pink f owers with wavy edges and a yellowish-or- This is one of the darkest ange-pink blotch. It has purples found amongst attractive, shiny, green foli- rhododendrons. ‘Purple age and a sturdy branch- Splendor’ is so dark that the ing habit. blotch present on its upper lobe seems nearly black. 44 Rhododendron smirnowii These f owers have frilled edges and are clustered in Rhododendron smirnowii dense, dome-shaped truss- has an upright habit and an es. Its leaves of ‘Purple Splendor’ are distinct in that overall dark look to it with they have a depressed midrib. deep purple-pink f owers and thick dark woolly indu- 40 Rhododendron ‘Royston Red’ mentum on the undersides of its recurved, downwards- ‘Royston Red’ is a rhododen- hanging leave. dron that was developed by Ted and Mary Greig at the Royston Nursery. It has 45 Rhododendron ‘Susan’ dark red, waxy, bell- shaped f owers that are ‘Susan’ is a very good, reli- held in truss-es of able rhododendron. It has approximately 5-10 in- pale mauve f owers with dividuals. It has a compact, a darker speckle, a good, rounded habit. There are rounded habit, nice glossy two specimens here, located immediately in front of green leaves and it is fairly the split rail fence that encloses the golf course. fast-growing. It is, overall, a great rhododendron with 5 no liabilities of any kind. green leaves. It has an up- right, leggy habit and can 46 Rhododendron ‘The Honorable Jean Marie de even, if planted en masse, Montague’ be trimmed into a hedge. Unlike most yellow rhodo- ‘Jean Marie de Montague’ dendrons, ‘Yellow Hammer’ is known as one of the best will do well in a sunny loca- and most reliable red-f ow- tion. ered rhododendrons. It has thick, heavy, sun-tolerant foliage and produces f ow- er buds at a young age. This particular specimen was also a wedding present to former Greig Rhododen- dron Garden head gardener Alleyne Cook and his wife Barbara from their friend Ellen Haley.

47 Rhododendron ‘Unique’

‘Unique’ is another popular, commonly planted rhodo- dendron due to its fail-safe nature. Its creamy-white f owers emerge from pale pink buds and are arranged in dense, prolif c trusses.

48 Rhododendron ‘Wedding Present’

Rhododendron ‘Wedding Present’ literally was just that – another wedding pres- ent to Alleyne and Barbara Cook. This vivid red-orange f owered rhododendron was hybridized and named especially for the occasion.

49 Rhododendron ‘Whitney’s Orange’

‘Whitney’s Orange’ is one of the best orange f owers to be found amongst rho- dodendrons. It has widely funnel-shaped coral pink-or- ange f owers with a reddish- orange blotch and wavy margins, which are held in trusses of about 15 f owers. It has moss-green leaves and a low growth habit with decumbent branches.

50 Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’

Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’ has tiny, lantern- shaped, pale yellow f owers and very small glossy Ceperley Meadow 27 10 33 Lost Lagoon 16 37 4

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1 Rhododendron ‘Aladdin’ 26 Rhododendron ‘Impi’ 2 Rhododendron ambiguum 27 Rhododendron ‘Lady Clementine Mitford’ 3 Rhododendron ‘Anna Rose Whitney’ 28 Rhododendron ‘May Day’ 4 Rhododendron arboretum 29 Rhododendron ‘Moonstone’ 5 Rhododendron ‘Atlanticum’ 30 Rhododendron ‘Mrs. A.T. de la Mare’ 6 Rhododendron augustinii 31 Rhododendron ‘Mrs. Furnival’ 7 Rhododendron auriculatum 32 Rhododendron ‘Naomi Hope’ 8 Rhododendron ‘Azor’ 33 Rhododendron ‘Naomi Nautilus’ 9 Rhododendron ‘Baden Baden’ 34 Rhododendron occidentale 10 Rhododendron ‘Beauty of Littleworth’ 35 Rhododendron ‘Palestrina’ 11 Rhododendron ‘Beethoven’ 36 Rhododendron ‘Point Def ance’ 12 Rhododendron ‘Bonf re’ 37 Rhododendron ‘President Roosevelt’ 13 Rhododendron ‘Chionoides’ 38 Rhododendron ‘Professor Hugo de Vries’ 14 Rhododendron ‘Cilpinense’ 39 Rhododendron ‘Purple Splendor’ 15 Rhododendron cinnabarinum x 40 Rhododendron ‘Royston Red’ 16 Rhododendron ‘Crest’ 41 Rhododendron ‘Sappho’ 17 Rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s White’ 42 Rhododendron schlippenbachii 18 Rhododendron decorum 43 Rhododendron ‘Scintillation’ 19 Rhododendron ‘Electra’ 44 Rhododendron smirnowii 20 Rhododendron ‘Elizabeth’ 45 Rhododendron ‘Susan’ 21 Rhododendron ‘Fabia’ 46 Rhododendron ‘The Honorable Jean Marie de 22 Rhododendron ‘Fatuosum Flore Pleno’ Montague 23 Rhododendron fortunei x 47 Rhododendron ‘Unique’ 24 Rhododendron ‘George Watling’ 48 Rhododendron ‘Wedding Present’ 25 Rhododendron ‘Haydn’ 49 Rhododendron ‘Whitney’s Orange’ 50 Rhododendron ‘Yellow Hammer’ 6