. The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade. Floriculture; Florists. i8g4. The American Florist. 765. CYPRIPEDIUM LEEANUM GIGANTEUM. Hardy Rhododendrons. The rhododendron is one of the most beautiful of all our hardy shrubs, and should be planted more extensively than it is, but the trouble has been that plant- ers have purchased imported stock, which have infused in their veins too much of R. ponticum blood, which is not, and never will be hardy in the northern states. After two or three trials growers give them up in disgust. Now to get a per- fectly hardy rhododendron we must ha
. The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade. Floriculture; Florists. i8g4. The American Florist. 765. CYPRIPEDIUM LEEANUM GIGANTEUM. Hardy Rhododendrons. The rhododendron is one of the most beautiful of all our hardy shrubs, and should be planted more extensively than it is, but the trouble has been that plant- ers have purchased imported stock, which have infused in their veins too much of R. ponticum blood, which is not, and never will be hardy in the northern states. After two or three trials growers give them up in disgust. Now to get a per- fectly hardy rhododendron we must have a greater preponderence of R. Catawbi- ense and R. maximum blood, and to this end some of our most successful rhodo- dendron growers have labored for years, trying to get a perfectly hardy rhododen- dron, one that can be depended on in our northern winters, and now you can get plants that are hardy as an oak. An- other point, if generally known, would save planters much expense, and make as fine an effect, when planting large masses of these plantson banksorravlnes is to use R. Catawbiense seedlings for the bulk of the masses, and a sprinkling of the named sorts for the highest colors. In planting rhododendrons it is best where practicable to take a position sheltered from the heavy winds, also bear in mind that they like a little shade, for in their native habitat they are al- ways shaded by trees or rocks. While they will do in dry places they like a moist situation, and grow much freer in it. By moist I do not mean where the water stands on the ground, but on the edges of ponds and streams. One word of ad- vice: don't buy of importers, buy of some good northern firm who make a specialty of these plants. While they like peat or mould they do equally well in any good loamy soil, and the first season should be mulched with any convenientmaterialex- cept manure to keep the roots moist and cool; after that they can take care of themselves. For the edging or bordering of clumps
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