For June, 1922 



173 



Rhododendrons and Azaleas in the Garden 



FRANK B. MEYER 



{Continued from May issue) 

 Arrangement i.\ Tin-: Landscape 



AT Lindenhurst conditions such as Mr. Wilson de- 

 scril)es for the ideal have been given nearly perfect 

 form. Running- down the gleni of gentle slope 

 are paths bordered by rhododendrons and azaleas that are 

 all along' backed by dogwoods, red and crimson oaks, 

 pines, hanlocks and cedars. .\t certain points taller- 

 growing native azaleas help to shield the hybrid 

 rhododendrons, which, all obtained directly from Eng- 

 land from seven to twelve years ago, include several 

 varieties not found hardy at Boston. These plants, all 

 tnider eighteen inches in height, were spaced suital)ly iov 

 their size. As they have grown there has been thinning 

 out from year to year. The plants removed have been 

 used to border other aisles and to flank new vistas opened 

 up. These vistas, all successful, as must be admitted by 

 all whose good fortune it has been to inspect them, are 

 delightful at all seasons of the year: but they are most 

 charming when the rich coloration of the azaleas and 

 rhododendrons, with here an.i there a cloud of white in- 

 volucres of the dogwood and large flecks of the pink, are 

 seen against the foil of verdure held up by the lusty pines 

 and oaks. And even before Nature lifts the curtain to 

 reveal this lovely maze of color in such masses some of 

 the sloping paths invite one with their edges brightened 

 by stately Cottage, Darwin and Breeder tulips whose rich 

 shades are given increased luster by their standing against 

 the dark gloss of the broad-leaved evergreen shrubs. 



Spots of relief in the midst of the banks and masses 

 of the rhododendrons have been formed by placing into 

 natural pockets or nests Catesby's Lcncothoe, wdiose 

 graceful racemes, so fragrant, are followed by a rich 

 bronzing of leaf in the Autumn. The mountain laurel 

 also, admittedly the most valuable broad-leaved evergreen 

 native of America, and Andromeda or Pieris floribunda 

 are employed, perhaps not qtiite so much as they deserve. 

 The Andromeda presents the one objection of looking bad 

 when going out of flower. 



During the Summer the masses of green are enlivened 

 by the blossoms of lilies, many of them native, dotted 

 among the rhododendrons wherever there is even the tin- 

 iest clearing through which they may lift their belts. 



In the large rock garden can be seen how well suited 

 to such surroundings are some of the dwar rhododen- 

 drons and many of the azaleas. These all appear well at 

 the water's edge also, the brilliant Hinodegiri as well as 

 any, in groups or in clumps. They make lovelv pictures 

 in combination with plants like the bamboo and the 

 tamarisks. 



The Method of Management 



The method by which all this has been achieved is 

 worthy of emulation. .Since the rhododendrons were 

 bought at the small initial cost none have been purchased 

 for the enlargement of the plantings. They have now 

 increased to a value of over $100,000, many times the 

 original cost. The dogwoods, more than one thousand in 

 number, were obtained for little more than the cost of 

 hauling them. Today Lindenhurst has acres of the finest 

 naturalistic growth as the result of proper planting, han- 

 dling and judicious thinning. At no other place in the 

 country, perhaps, can there be found so successful a 

 development. 



But there are other magnificent collections of rhodo- 

 dendrons and azaleas. At the Widener estate, not far 

 away, the broad-leaved evergreens are used to help out, 

 in splendid style, the massive formal design. Here are 

 some of the best specimens of Rhododendron ponticum 

 in the country. At the Xeubold estate, also, not far away 

 from Lindenhurst, excellent plants of R. maximum can 

 be seen. The largest plants, however, are probably those 

 in Clift'ord Park, off Wissahickon Drive, recently made a 

 part of the Philadelphia Park system. Here are speci- 

 mens of the Kalmia also fifteen feet tall, very shapely and 

 profuse in bloom. 



An atten^pt to use among rhododendrons ground cover 

 plants may be inadvisable in situations at all exposed and 

 needing pretty heavy mulching". It may be interjected 

 that in general it is not good practice to attempt to use 

 around roses or other plants requiring careful cultivation 

 anv ground cover or filler that, in addition to hampering 

 ctiltivation, may conduce to the breeding of insects or 

 fungous gro\\ths. 



The flowering is made much more profuse by picking 

 oft', in the Summer, all old blossoms and seed pods. 



The Winter Protection 



Concerning the protection of rhododendrons in Winter 

 nearly enough has been said or implied already. A point 

 to be emphasized it that, as with all evergreen plants, the 

 functioning of the roots must continue, at least to a con- 

 siderable degree, during the Winter. In the case of rho- 

 dodendrons, because their roots remain so near the 

 surface, it is necessary to keep the ground from becoming 

 dry for a period long enough to exhaust the life juices. 

 Shading helps of course to retard transpiration and evap- 

 oration. Another object of shading is to prevent the rays 

 of the sun from penetrating beneath the coating of mois- 

 ture under which the "converted"' heat will become im- 

 prisoned, or from burning the surface of the leaf by 

 shining through the globules of water or ice that act as 

 burning glasses. In the case of deciduous azaleas protec- 

 tion against the sun is, of course, unnecessary. On Long 

 Island, upon the magnificent estate of W. R. Coe, the 

 writer has been greatly pleased to find this Spring that 

 R. schlippcnhacliii. with its exquisitely beairtiful flesh- 

 pink blooms, and several of the Kurume azaleas have 

 wintered out-of-doors perfectly with very simple protec- 

 tion. Leaves and long grass were merely piled around 

 the shrubs high enough to cover them. In this way it 

 has been found feasible to protect sufficiently even such 

 treasures as two p'ants of R. schlippenbachii nearly three 

 feet tall ; and they were most delightful to look upon. 

 Herein is encourag"ement great indeed and the promise of 

 beauty in gardens quite ravishing. 



Diseases 



The diseases of the rhododendron are not many nor 

 are they hard to combat. "On the leaves and even some- 

 times on the small branches, can often be seen swellings 

 on which a kind of gall forms. These galls are caused 

 by a fungus, called E.vobasidium Rliododendri, which 

 lives in the attacked part of the plant and causes it to 

 swell considerably. After the gall has formed a small 

 layer of white, waxy mold covers it wdiich can be rubbed 

 off easily. In this waxy substance the spores of the fun- 

 gus are found, and when these come in contact with rho- 

 dodendron leaves or branches a new area of infection is 

 produced. 



