HARLAN P. KELSEY, Owner , SALEM, MASS. 
PRICES ARE AT BOXFORD NURSERY 
thousands of plant-lovers would make a Rhododendron bed or planting if they felt assured of successful 
results 
SUCCESSFUL RHODODENDRON 
BORDERS 
SIMPLE RULES WHICH WILL BRING PLEASING AND LASTING RESULTS 
Many, discouraged by imagined or heard-of difficulties, never even make the attempt to grow 
Rhododendrons; yet, under average conditions, success is as simple and sure as with ordinary shrubs. 
It is a question of doing the right thing before, during, and after planting. 
Nature Knows Best. Rhododendrons—and I include under this term, Azaleas, Kalmias, 
Leucothods, and other ericaccous genera and similar native (and exotic) plants—grow naturally 
in shady, damp situations, being surface feeders, with fine, hair-like rootlets. Plainly, therefore, 
dry, hard ground or drought checks growth or kills outright. Nature provides against this by’supply- 
ing a mulch of leaves the year round; very few gardeners have learned this lesson. 
First Excavate the Bed, unless conditions are already favorable. A deep, porous soil prevents 
drought; excavate 2 to 3 feet or more, and see that in clay soils good drainage is provided, so that 
water will not stagnate in the bottom and make “sour ground.“ 
11 . 1 a * er j a * * or Bed. Rhododendrons live largely on vegetable mold and humus, presum- 
aoiy through the medium of a mycelium, which increases rapidly under suitable conditions; therefore 
" 111 tac excavation with woods' or leaf-mold, good loam, rotted field sods and a third in bulk of 
swamp muck or pulverized peat; while filling in this mixture one-tenth of sharp sand, or even more, 
s louifl be added; if any manure is used, it must in every case be well rotted and practically reduced 
o minus. I he center of the bed or plantation may be raised 6 to 12 inches above surrounding ground, 
after allowing for natural settling. 
c^rT,i^^ nt ' ng ’-i J31ant V le same .d<-*Pth as before (shown by earth line, or “collar" on stem) and 
SQ1 around with the foot, but don’t pack the earth too solid—Rhododendrons 
• , c u^ 5 r ?P" Poles. I* filers," including Lilies and other bulbs and smaller ground-covering 
species, should be planted after the larger plants are all in and properly spaced. 
wav to h?, a A Pjl antm S s with all the water they will take, for there is no other satisfactory 
3 4°. ta e earth firmly and bring it into physical contact with the roots, 
cover the entire Mulch, and yet mulch again, all the year round. As soon as planted, 
the rlenth ef v ,.'i? K roun d with a vegetable mulching—preferably hardwood leaves—to 
remain^the ,nc ^es when reasonably well settled. Never remove this mulching, but let it 
mSnA hnt o h^f r ? Ur L d * and e yp ry faI1 add a new layer of similar depth. A foot of leaves in the fall 
AImc a 1 . . inc . or s <?, of humus the coming season—the future food of the Rhododendrons or 
til! rhf.t- hocr.-r, 1 ? , sslng ^1. oam and well-rotted manure may be used to hold down the fresh leaves 
thf frrr'nt cAr 0 t 0 (D? y i The leaves keep the surface cool in summer and warm in winter. This is 
uic grvat secret of Rhododendron-growing. 
ticifi^K n wh^ r ?*! Cti0 l n ; [[ convcnieat , protect them with pine or other evergreen boughs, par- 
Bonon'or BufTahf^^r^ , the , sun and wind; yet Rhododendrons rarely suffer in the latitude Qf 
oobton or Buffalo, if properly planted and mulched. 
