Rhododendron Cumberlandense
Photo courtesy of John and Sally Perkins
Photo courtesy of John and Sally Perkins
At the final 2012 meeting of the New England Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society, John and Sally Perkins gave a great presentation on deciduous azaleas.
John and Sally, who live in New Hampshire, are quite active in rhododendron circles and their talks are always long on gorgeous photographs and personal experience. This one was no different, giving a great overview of a group of beautiful, colorful plants that have often been neglected simply because they lose their leaves in the winter.
One of the plants was the gorgeous Rhododendron cumberlandense, selections of which can be found in yellow, red and orange - my preferred end of the spectrum - and I'm going to be keeping an eye out for it. Since this species is hardy for them in New Hampshire, our winters on Massachusetts' South Shore shouldn't bother it much at all.
This meeting also marked the end of my two-year term as Chair. No more standing up and being the face of the group… so now is a good time to focus on other things, like this blog!
