Nov. 17
Sunday
2024

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Banquet, St. Davids Golf Club, 845 Radnor Street Rd, Wayne, PA 19087. Cocktails and conviviality begin at noon, with buffet luncheon beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Speaker: Nicole Juday
Program: "Private Gardens of Philadelphia"

Our speaker was Nicole Juday who related the fascinating history of Philadelphia's preeminence in horticulture. Using examples from her new book, Private Gardens of Philadelphia, author and garden historian Nicole Juday showcased some extraordinary properties in which conservation, environmental sensitivity, and wildlife value drive the gardens' overall design and aesthetic. Illustrated by gorgeous images by photographer Rob Cardillo, this talk focused on specific gardens that have made a commitment to environmental practices and achieved stunning results.

Nicole Juday has a deep background in public horticulture. Nicole Juday's career has encompassed many areas of horticulture, including her own garden design business, working as Landscape Curator at Wyck Historic Garden, and running the renowned Arboretum School at the Barnes Foundation. She then served as Director of Audience Engagement at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, where she created content and programming to inspire gardeners everywhere. A Chanticleer Scholarship allowed Nicole to pursue an interest in garden writing, and she has gone on to publish numerous articles, winning a silver medal for her writing by the Garden Writers Association. She speaks frequently on various gardening topics. When not spending time in her own garden with friends and family, she enjoys volunteering on local beautification efforts. She serves as board chair for the IDEAL Industries Foundation. Her writing has appeared in many garden publications including her article, Philadelphia: a Legacy of Horticulture, in the Winter 2019 issue of the Journal of the American Rhododendron Society.

The banquet featured the speaker and a plant exchange known as "Rhododendron Roulette." Each person took home two plants, a table favor and an exchange plant.

Oct. 20
Sunday
2024

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Meeting, Tyler Arboretum Edible Garden Building, 515 Painter Road, Media, Pa. 19063.

Steve Kristoph spoke on the Iron Clads. Steve is in his 44th consecutive year teaching about woody landscape plants at Rutgers University. Steve owns and operates Kristoph Nursery in Millstone Township of Monmouth County NJ where he grows many types of ornamental trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials. He is passionate about plants, and likes to share this with others. Taking time to smell the roses is important to him and you can bet if there’s indumentum on a rhododendron leaf close by,it’s likely to get a gentle caress.

R. catawbiense was collected in the wild in 1803 in the Eastern U.S. and was introduced to Britain in 1809. When hybridized with other rhododendrons it introduced cold and heat hardiness into rhododendron hybrids. The first group of rhododendrons to become popular in gardens was the hybrids called the "iron-clads." There was a group of early British hybrids involving crosses of R. caucasicum, R. catawbiense, R. ponticum and R. maximum that survived the coldest winters at Arnold Arboretum in Boston. In 1917, Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930) published a list of what he termed the "Iron Clad" rhododendrons that for many years were successfully growing in the Arnold Arboretum.

Wilson's Dozen Iron-Clad Rhododendrons

• Album Elegans, pale purplish pink hybrid or selection
• Album Grandiflorum, pinkish white hybrid or selection
• Atrosanguineum, bright red, purple markings hybrid
• Catawbiense Album, pinkish white hybrid or selection
• Charles Dickens, crimson red, purplish markings hybrid
• Everestianum, purplish-pink, green markings hybrid
• Henrietta Sargent, a deep pink hybrid
• Lady Armstrong, deep purplish pink, pale center hybrid
• Mrs. Charles S. Sargent, rose pink hybrid
• Purpureum Elegans, pinkish purple hybrid
• Purpureum Grandiflorum, violet with green flecks hybrid
• Roseum Elegans, lavender pink, green markings hybrid

Iron-clads are by definition plants that have been popular for a long time and are easy to grow, even in cold climates. Some of the original "Wilson's Dozen" plants are no longer easily found and have been replaced by the modern list of "iron-clads":

• Boule de Neige
• Catawbiense Album (original ironclad)
• Catawbiense Boursalt
• English Roseum
• Ignatius Sargent
• Ken Janeck
• Lee's Dark Purple
• Minnetonka
• Mrs. Charles S. Sargent (original ironclad)
• Nova Zembla
• Olga Mezitt
• PJM
• Purpureum Elegans
• Purpureum Grandiflorum (original ironclad)
• Roseum Elegans (original ironclad)

Here are some other takeaways from the Journal articles and Steve's presentation summarized by Michael Martin Mills:
• Older cultivars that have stood the test of time are likely to be better at standing the test of the future. Keep in mind that our summers can be like ovens now. • A surprising number of almost-local hybrids make the drought tolerance cut - cultivars bred by Joseph Gable of York County, Pa.
• Yellows and oranges may be doomed. It took forever to breed some winter-hardy ones, and it turns out they are real wimps in hot dry spells.
• Truly appropriate planting conditions are more important than ever. Drainage, drainage, drainage plus lots of organic content. The way the weather is going, if you plant a rhododendron in a marginal site don't be surprised by marginal results. And if you don't mulch - not for weed prevention but to minimize drying of the soil - you're a nincompoop.
• Whoever heard of 'Lady Grey Egerton'? This lilac-tinged white is an English hybrid by Waterer, pre-1890, cited by C J Patterson in her Journal article as the "most drought-tolerant ironclad I know of." It may be an English cross, but the key parent is the American native R. catawbiense. Even Joe Gable extolled is performance in dry spells.

Sep. 22
Sunday
2024 PM

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society’s Plants-By-Members sale.

The Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society's propagation team, headed by Karel Bernady, annually acquires cuttings from the gardens of accomplished ARS members. They are prepped and rooted and come to market each September.

There were year-old rooted cuttings in small pots, as well as grown-on plants in gallon pots. The price was $5 each for rooted cuttings, $15 for larger plants. Varieties you've never seen for sale anywhere were among the choices.

You can download the two lists of plants that were available for the Plants for Members sale at:

The Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society has an extensive propagation program. Most plants are propagated from cuttings, but some varieties that are hard to root are grafted. A wide variety of plants produced from this program are sold to members and guests. Rooted cuttings and 2-year grafts will be available. As part of this effort members are invited to participate in the Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society propagation workshops.

Aug. 18
Sunday
2024

District 8 Rhododendron & Azalea Cutting Exchange and Plant Auction, Jenkins Arboretum, 631 Berwyn Baptist Road, Devon, PA, rain or shine.

Thanks to those that brought donations for the cutting exchange and plant auction.

The plant auction raised $1,538 which benefit ARS Endowment Fund and ARS Research Foundation

June 30
Sunday
2024

The chapter provided a selection of sandwiches (including vegetarian) and beverages. Members were welcome to bring appetizers (if arriving on the early side) or desserts, but no obligation.

Order of activities:

Gather, convivialize, have an appetizer.
Annual meeting and election.
Lunch
Presentation of truss show trophies
Dessert

Slate of officers:

President: Stuart Brooks
Vice President: Perc Moser
Secretary: Kim Kopple
Treasurer: Bob Smetana
Directors: Mimi Favre, Maris Ogg, John Weygandt

Nominations from the floor were permitted.

May 11
Saturday
2024

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Flower Show at Jenins Arboretum

On Mother’s Day weekend we held our Rhododendron & Azalea Flower Show at Jenkins. The trusses were entered in groupings of similar plants. They were judged and ribbons and trophies are presented.

Top: (from left to right) Best Deciduous Azalea was Choptank Seedling by Bud & Marilyn Gressman; Best Foliage was Rcv. 'Max Tietjens' by Michael Mills;
Right: Best In Show as Rcv. Pocono Pink' by Michael Mills (evergreen azalea);
Bottom: (left to right) Best Hybrid was Heritage 1000 by Michael Mills; and Best Species was R. catawbiense by Mimi Favre.

The winning entries were by (left to right) Mimi Favre, Bud Gressman, Michael Mills, and Marilyn Gressman.

Click for 2024 Entry Rules and Essential Information

Click for 2024 Catalogue of Previous Entries

May
3-5
Fri-Sun
2024

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Rhododendron Plant Sale at Tyler Arboretum.

Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., 515 Painter Road, Media, Pa. 19063.

Friday is Tyler-members-only; to join go to: https://tylerarboretum.org/membership

Don’t miss our public Annual Plant Sales the first weekend each May at Jenkins Arboretum and Tyler Arboretum. Here you can find those hard-to-get rhododendrons, azaleas and companion plants for your garden. The plants you are looking for, and many you have not seen before, are probably there, and the price cannot be beat!

May
3-5
Fri-Sun
2024

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Rhododendron Plant Sale at Jenkins Arboretum.

Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5, 631 Berwyn-Baptist Road, Devon, Pa. 19333.

Friday is a pre-ticketed party and sale with limited capacity, so advance reservations are necessary.

Don’t miss our public Annual Plant Sales the first weekend each May at Jenkins Arboretum and Tyler Arboretum. Here you can find those hard-to-get rhododendrons, azaleas and companion plants for your garden. The plants you are looking for, and many you have not seen before, are probably there, and the price cannot be beat!

May
2-5
Thu-Sun
2024

ARS 2024 Rhododendron Convention, Bellingham, Wash.

The Convention was held in Bellingham which is located in beautiful northern Washington State. The 2024 convention featured private & public garden tours, workshops, programs, seminars, banquets, poster shows, plant sale, and pre- & post-tours.

April
28-30
Sun-Tue
2024

We were invited to join the District 9 Meeting in Annapolis, MD.

Annapolis is a little over a 2-hour drive from the Philadelphia area. There were talks, garden visits, a banquet, and a plant sale.

Mar. 9

and

Mar. 13
2024

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Propagation Workday at Steven Kristoph Nursery (no sign), 9 Roberts Rd, Millstone, NJ, in central New Jersey.

Plant Propagation Workdays

About 10 people each day helped Karel Bernady and the Propagaton Committee transplant cuttings of incomparable rareness and desirability for this fall’s Plants for Members sale at Steve Kristoph's.

Mar. 17
2024

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Meeting, Tyler Arboretum Edible Garden Building, 515 Painter Rd, Media, PA

On St. Patrick’s Day we met at Tyler Arboretum.

The Art of Flower Show Plant Forcing

Hannah Deputy, Landscape Architect at Stoney Bank Nurseries, discussed the art of plant forcing and display that makes the stunning displays at the Philadelphia Flower Show possible. The wonder of the flower show is that all plants are in bloom at the same time, even plants that are normally fall blooming are in bloom. This is done by forcing them into bloom.

Hannah explained that she needs to know where plants can be obtained and how to force each variety. There can be considerable differences between cultivars. We see that in rhododendrons. Before the process starts, all plants are treated with a systemic fertilizer.

Dormancy: Most plants need a period of dormancy before being forced. This involves reduced moisture, reduced light, and reduced temperature. The length varies with the variety.

Forcing: Next the plants are watered normally, placed in a heated greenhouse with bottom heat and ample light, and, after leaves appear, are fertilized. Bottom heat is removed when flower buds start forming. If a plant is coming along too quickly, a shade cloth is used and the temperature is lowered.

Holding: When the plants are approaching being ready, they are placed in the same cold facility that was used for dormancy to hold them so they will be at their prime at the right time. Holding actually improves color and stem strength.

Transporting: When transporting it is necessary to avoid extremes in temperature and protect from damage.

Rhododendrons: Hannah listed her favorite rhododendrons to force: 'English Roseum,' the Girard azaleas, R. flammeum, R. poukhanense compacta, & R. arborescens.

Mar. 23
2024

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Propagation Workday at Steven Kristoph Nursery (no sign), 9 Roberts Rd, Millstone, NJ, in central New Jersey.

Plant Propagation Workday

About 10 people helped Karel Bernady and the Propagaton Committee repot cuttings of incomparable rareness and desirability for this spring’s plant sales at Tyler Arboretum and Jenkins Arboretum.

Feb. 18
Sunday
2024

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Meeting, Uwchlan Meeting House, 3 N Village Ave, Exton, PA.

We continued our tradition of having our February meeting at the historic Uwchlan Quaker meeting house.

Historic Laurel Hill Cemeteries

Seasoned Horticulturist Gregg Tepper provided an entertaining and informative presentation on the history of Laurel Hill Cemeteries. Laurel Hill Cemeteries were founded with a horticultural mission to provide a landscape of beauty and interest to both the Laurel Hill East and Laurel Hill West Cemetaries. The West location is well known for its stunning collection of Asian azaleas and hybrid elepidote Rhododendrons to which the public is drawn to visit each May.

Greg pointed out that his emphasis is on Hedera (the hollies) and Rhododendron. However, since the West Cemetary is habitat to deer, they are only planting new rhododendrons on the East Cemetary. They have found a product to prevent deer damage, Trico Pro deer repellant from Austria. It contains sheep fat which repels deer and rabbits before they even try to take a bite. It is sprayed on the woody parts and the undersides of leaves. It is long lasting, and only slightly more expensive than other deer repellants and seems to be very effective and long lasting. It has proven effective in saving plants from deer and rabbits on the West Cemetary.

Jan. 28
Sunday
2024

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Meeting, Jenkins Arboretum.

On the Trail of Wild Prunifolium

Trevor Schulte is the Morris Arboretum Azalea Meadow Horticulturalist and last year’s recipient of the Valley Forge Chapter Travel Grant Award. Trevor used this grant to travel to Georgia and Alabama with Connor Ryan from Holden’s David G. Leach Research Station in Ohio.

They spent 6 days visiting known sites where Rhododendron prunifolium is growing in the wild. They were there in August and saw R. prunifolium that were in bud stage, full bloom, and past and producing seed. In just about all cases, R. prunifolium is growing on the banks of streams and is growing out over a stream where deer can’t reach it. He only saw a couple R. prunifolium seedlings. He is wondering if deer brouse is removing most seedlings the dear can reach.

He had excellent photos of not only R. prunifolium and its habitat, but also of many other native plants that grow in sites where R. prunifolium is found. One place Trevor highly recommends for native plant enthusiasts is Bibb County, Alabama.

Nov. 12
Sunday
2023

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Banquet, St. Davids Golf Club

We returned to a familiar haunt for the annual banquet. Don Hyatt, one of the most entertaining rhododendron speakers on the planet, was the featured speaker with a program titled "Rhododendron Potpourri." Cocktails and conviviality began at noon, with buffet luncheon beginning at 1:00 p.m.

The banquet featured the a plant exchange known as "Rhododendron Roulette." Each person took home two plants, a table favor and an exchange plant.

Oct. 15
Sunday
2023

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society Meeting, Tyler Arboretum Edible Garden Building.

The meeting took place in the Edible Garden Building, a relatively new facility at Tyler. Mike Karkowski, director of horticulture at Tyler, presented an informal introduction to Tyler Arboretum. He updated us on the status of site preparation for the Rhododendron Hybridizers Test Garden. Currently they are still fighting some invasives like Goldenrod.

Members showed quite a bit of interest in Tyler’s current efforts to remove about 1,000 dead trees, mostly ash, that pose a danger to hikers. The woodland trails are currently closed because of this. A firm from Connecticut is falling and cutting to length all of the trees. They are attempting to have minimum impact, but restoration will be required when they are finished.

After the meeting, the group took a stroll to the new hybridizers test garden site. For more details on the ARS/Tyler Rhododendron Test Garden visit their Website.

Sep. 10
Sunday
2023

Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society’s Plants-By-Members sale at Jenkins Arboretum.

The lists of plants that were available are:

Photos of the plants were shown prior to the sale (top photo). The Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society has an extensive propagation program. Plants are propagated from cuttings and varieties that are hard to root are grafted. A wide variety of plants produced from this program are sold to members and guests. Rooted cuttings and 2-year grafts were available. As part of this effort members are invited to participate in the Delaware Valley Rhododendron Society propagation workshops.

Aug. 20
Sunday
2023

District 8 Rhododendron & Azalea Cutting Exchange and Plant Auction, Jenkins Arboretum.

A total of $ 562 was raised for the ARS Endowment Fund and ARS Research Foundation. The plants and cutting are donated by members. The cuttings are sold for one dollar for a packet of about 5 or 6 of one variety. The plants are auctioned off for the two charitable foundations.

Clockwise from the top: we had a lively group of bidders for the auction; before the auction over 50 varieties of rhododendron cuttings were available; Maris Ogg discusses some of the plants John Bartlett donated from his Gettysburg Gardens nursery; and finally Karel Bernady conducted the auction.

June 18
Sunday
2023