One of the all time favourite plants that gardeners enjoy the world over is the rhododendron. When you’ve seen one in full flower it’s not too hard to understand why. At a time of year when most other plants look drab and dreary, rhododendrons are bursting into spectacular colour, with giant bunches of beautiful flowers in pinks, reds, purples whites and yellows.

  Rhododendrons have been crossbred over many years to produce the hundreds of different varieties available today, including many cultivars that are heat tolerant.

  Rhododendrons have a compact root ball of very fine hair-like roots that makes them ideal for use in containers or around buildings. They look superb in an open garden setting as specimen plants, and when used in a woodland planting.

  Because of their fine feeding roots, they require plenty of moisture in a well-drained, open soil that has been enriched with lots of organic material, like well-rotted compost. Heavily compacted soil must be broken up well before planting, and the addition of mulch around the base of the plant will help to retain moisture. Most varieties prefer dappled shade although some rhododendrons, such as ‘Sir Robert Peel’ will perform wonderfully in full sun. Chris & Marie's Plant Farms has a large selection of rhododendrons in a wide range of flower colours to suit every garden situation. They are available in a range of pot sizes with prices starting from $12.50.

Using Rhododendrons in the garden

  There are a number of different ways in which rhododendrons can be used in the garden, with the most popular of course being as a specimen plant. Choosing a variety is as simple as deciding what colour you want, how high you want the plant to grow, and how much light is available, bearing in mind that although many varieties like dappled shade, fully shaded areas will reduce flower quantities. If the area is in full sun, make sure you select a heat tolerant species, and mulch the ground around the plant to retain moisture. By choosing a mixture of colours and flowering times, you can maintain interest in the garden over a long period of time.
  Popular varieties to use as specimen plants include ‘Fire Prince’, a cultivar produced by local rhododendron guru Karel Van de Van, which has brilliant red tubular flowers, ‘President Roosevelt’, with its unusual golden-variegated leaves and bright red and white blooms, and of course ‘Sir Robert Peel’, an early flowering variety that produces outstanding displays of deep pink flowers and is extremely hardy.

  Because they enjoy the same conditions as azaleas and camellias, and flower at similar times, rhododendrons can also be used as a massed display, and in larger gardens can be interspersed among trees to create a natural ‘woodland’ setting.

  Smaller varieties of rhododendron are great to plant in tubs to colour up a patio or decking area. Varieties such as the dark purple flowered ‘Purple Splendour’ or the dainty yellow ‘Eldorado’ are good choices.