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Garden DVD:Shade Garden Superstars

Dec8

There are a slew of garden DVD’s being produced these days, some good, others not so much. One I consult often —- and you will too if you have an interest in shade gardening in general, or Rhododendrons in particular —- is “Elepidote Hybrids In Central New Jersey”. It’s a winner. 

Despite the title, the time-tested information is useful for the entire Northeast and beyond; the detailed  coverage of beautiful large-leafed, flowering, evergreen Rhododendrons is extensive; and the photography is superb. The only problem is that you will probably want most, if not all of the plants . (And wouldn’t the DVD  be a  perfect  gift for the gardener on your list?).

The DVD  ( fifteen dollars plus postage)  is available from the American Rhododendron Society. To purchase, contact: Walter Przypek, wprzpek@aol.com.

The Real Dirt: “Try It, You’ll Like It”

Nov26

In ancient Greece, kings and such would quickstep over to the Temple of Delphi to ask the Gods questions about important matters of state – when to wage war, what to serve at an orgy, that sort of thing – and the temple priestess or Pythia would fall into a frenzied, writhing trance, and, foaming at the mouth, would spit out their divine recommendations. Without the frenzy and foaming (except for the weeks before the plant catalog is due at the printer), Anne Haines of RareFind Nursery is a modern-day plant Pythia. Ask for a recommendation and she will suggest a treasure like Rhododendron ‘Marshy Point’s Humdinger.’ For me, this aptly named autumn and spring flowering evergreen azalea was a blooming machine, flaunting glowing, double pink flowers from September to mid-December, stopped only by continuous days of hard frost, and then again in spring.  Truly, a plant fit for a king!

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