R & A News: July - August 2021

From: Dave Banks dfbanks@earthlink.netSubject: [Test] July-August 2021 R&A NewsDate: August 11, 2021 at 6:16 PMTo: dfbanks@earthlink.net"Between storms, I have edited the basic Mailchimp portion to include the passing of Harold and found aphoto I took of him at Crystal Springs the last ARS Convention. I'd appreciate comments or suggestions."— Donald HyattTo send feedback about this test campaign, reply with a message above this bar.R & A News: July - August 2021Before we discuss highlights of this issue, we havesome extremely sad news to report, the sudden passing ofHarold Greer. A loss of such magnitude is difficult to graspfor many of us. We send our sincere sympathy to his wifeNancy, family members, and friends.Our summer issue has two general themes. Onefocuses on tasks that we can be doing at this time of year,such as propagating azaleas and rhododendrons, caring

such as propagating azaleas and rhododendrons, caringfor small plants, and pruning. The other looks at some lateblooming plants you may want to consider in order toextend the flowering season in your garden.We are very excited about our fall event that has beenorganized by ARS Chapters and Master Gardeners onVancouver Island in lieu of a regular fall conference. It iscalled Fall into Gardening. It will be two half-days of talksgiven by experts from around the world on a variety oftopics. This is not just for ARS members but is free foranyone who wishes to participate.Continuing with our desire to educate, Steve Henninghas written an excellent piece on Lepidote Rhododendronsand their unique structures called "scales." Steve has alsoprovided a tribute to the legacy of Pennsylvania hybridizerJohn Doppel who passed away this spring. As most of usrealize, there are limitations as to what the ARS Journal isable to print about the accomplishments of plant breeders.However, the R & A News is more flexible and can serve asa vehicle to share thoughts and images of the lovely plantsthese people have created.Best wishes from the R & A News committee: Don Hyatt(co-chair), Maria Stewart (co-chair), Steve Henning, DaveBanks, and Linda Derkach.Photo by Don Hyatt: Rhododendron prunifoliumHarold GreerGone Too Soon

It is with great sadness that we report the suddenloss of Harold Greer. We have no details about hisdeath at this time other than he passed awayunexpectedly on the morning of August 8, 2021. Thishas come as a great shock to all of us. We will surelyhave extended tributes in future publications, but wewanted to use this newsletter to let our membersknow of this colossal loss to the ARS and the entirehorticultural community.Harold was an icon. Working with rhododendrons

Harold was an icon. Working with rhododendronsand azaleas since early childhood, he had a depth ofknowledge that few could match. Most of us lookedto him as the ultimate authority. Harold was theconsummate nurseryman, a renowned author, acelebrated hybridizer, a phenomenal photographer,an entertaining speaker, and a great friend. Hewillingly shared his knowledge, photographs, andexpertise worldwide. He will be missed more than wecan possibly comprehend at this time.We send our sincere condolences to his wife Nancy,members of his family, and to all who knew andadmired him.Photo by Don Hyatt: Harold GreerPlanning Ahead!"Fall into Gardening"Virtual Fall ConferenceOctober 23-24, 2021

"Fall into Gardening" is a virtual conference we haveplanned for October 23-24, 2021. In this outreach event,there are no real meetings but we have invited eightrenowned speakers who will be giving presentations onvaried topics that we hope will be of interest to a broadaudience. There will be four talks each day. Expect to learnabout plant exploration in the wilds of Sichuan, China. Joinus as we admire peak floral displays along certain trails inthe Southern Appalachians. There will be talks onrhododendron culture related to soils, mulch, and winterhardiness. We will have presentations on heritage plants,rock gardens, and even fragrance, too.This meeting will be FREE to anyone in the world butpeople must register through the ARS link below in orderto participate. Please share this link with other gardeninggroups or any friends who seem to enjoy plants.Photo by Don Hyatt: Flame Azaleas along the Appalachian TrailRegister for "Fall into Gardening"ARS 2022 ConventionMay 4-8, 2022

The 75th Anniversary ARS Convention planned for 2020in Portland, OR, was canceled due to the pandemic but weare pleased to announce it has been rescheduled for 2022.There will be tours offered before and after the meeting.Registration will open November 1 but it is not too earlyto start planning your trip. Check out the conventionwebsite for details.Photo by Don Hyatt: Cecil and Molly Smith Garden in Portland, ORThe 2022 ARS ConventionEducation CornerMore on LepidoteRhododendronsBy Steve Henning

Steve Henning has put together a great piece on the

Steve Henning has put together a great piece on thesmall leaf Lepidote Rhododendrons. They differ from thestandard large leaf rhododendrons in that that have scalesunderneath their leaves and on many other surfaces.Those tiny scales are best viewed with a microscope buthis examples and discussion will help people understandtheir significance. Steve has many photos to show thegreat diversity that can be found in the species of thisgroup, too. Thanks, Steve!Photos by Don Hyatt: '24 Karat' Fiower and Lepidote Foliage with ScalesLepidote RhododendronsPractical HelpHow to Root Cuttings!

We offer two items under this topic. The first is aPowerPoint presentation prepared for the ARS by DonHyatt that shows how to root rhododendron and azaleacuttings. It can be downloaded from the ARS Store but thelink below will run directly from the website.The second resource is a video from the RhododendronSpecies Botanical Garden where Atsuko Gibson showshow they root cuttings.Photo by Don Hyatt: Rhododendron CuttingsRooting Cuttings - Don Hyatt's PowerPointRooting Cuttings at the RSBG

Rooting Cuttings st the RSBG by Atsuko GibsonCaring for Small PlantsFrom the Cowichan Valley ChapterThis article by Verna Buhler is a reprint from theCowichan Valley Chapter Newsletter that has someexcellent advice about how to take care of small plants.Photo by Don Hyatt: Rhododendron Cuttings and SeedlingsCaring for the Little Ones

Pruning RhododendronsFrom the Cowichan Valley ChapterThis is another reprint from the Cowichan Valley ChapterNewsletter that has great advice about pruning. Theoriginal article was written by Robert L. Furniss but nowhas additional photographs by Verna Buhler.Photos by Don Hyatt: Pruning Out Dead Rhododendron BranchesHow and When to Prune RhododendronsHybridizing LegaciesRemembering John Doppel

This is a tribute to Pennsylvania hybridzer John Doppelby Steve Henning. John passed away from a Covid-19infection earlier this year but he has left us a legacy ofhardy new rhododendrons that will be appreciated bygenerations to come. Pictured above is his deep purplecalled 'Diane's Delight'.Photo by Don Hyatt: 'Diane's Delight'John Doppel's LegacyLate BloomersLate Deciduous Azaleas

There are a number of late blooming deciduous azaleasand this article will focus on three species that bloom inthe summer months, R. prunifolium, R. arborescens var.georgianum, and R. viscosum var. serrulatum.Photo by Don Hyatt: Rhododendron prunifoliumLate Blooming Deciduous AzaleasLate Rhododendrons

This segment discusses two late flowering species, R.maximum from the Eastern United States and Rauriculatum from central China.Photo by Don Hyatt: Rhododendron maximumLate Blooming RhododendronsMore on Late Flowering Species

The next two videos are from Steve Hootman at theRhododendron Species Botanic Garden. He discussessome members of the Glanduliferum Complex in Chinawhich includes the species R. auriculatum pictured above.These rhododendrons bloom from late spring into summer.Photo by Carol Segree: Rhododendron auriculatumThe Glanduliferum Complex Part 1 (5:21 min)

The Glanduliferum Complex Part 2 (14:29 min)Support Our OrganizationsThe American Rhododendron SocietyThe American Rhododendron Society website has much usefulinformation. There are details about the organization, itsactivities, membership, articles on many topics including

activities, membership, articles on many topics includingselected pieces from past journals and rhododendron culture, aninteractive database with images and more. It has a membersonly area where people can see full color digital versions of ARSJournals dating back to 2011.ARSThe ARS StoreThe ARS store has access to many interesting items people canpurchase as well as programs to download. When you purchaseitems online from certain vendors, the ARS also gets a smallcommission. This will only happen if you link to them from theARS Store so think of us when buying online and begin yoursearches at the ARS Store.ARS Store

Rhododendron Species Botanical GardenThe Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden is a wonderfulpartner to the ARS. It is a nonprofit organization that maintains abeautiful garden in Federal Way, WA, and houses one of thelargest collections of rhododendron species in the world. Everyyear they hold symposiums with world class speakers andpropagate rare.species that they offer for sale. Check out theirwebsite for details.RSBGBack Issues of the R & A News

R & A News: Archived IssuesIf you missed any back issues of the R & A News, wehave started posting them online.ArchivesAmerican Rhododendron SocietyP.O. Box 214, Great River, NY 11739Ph: 631-533-0375 Fax: 866-883-8019 E-Mail:member@arsoffice.org 1998-2021, ARS, All rights reserved.

Photo by Don Hyatt: Cecil and Molly Smith Garden in Portland, OR Education Corner More on Lepidote Rhododendrons By Steve Henning The 2022 ARS Convention. . Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden is a wonderful partner t