Thursday, May 21, 2009

More Rhododendron Pictures

The weather has been beautiful here this week and
I have been outdoors everyday trying to catch up on the
new plantings and filling containers and pots.
Got the tomatoes finally planted which is another tale
to come.
Have painted, scrubbed and spruced up around on odds
and ends, besides getting the pump fountain redone.
My back side has been dragging and I have been worn
out every evening but it feels so good to be out in the sun
shine and warm weather. All but the touch of sunburn I
manage to get while working every Spring :-)

My Rhododendron's are in their full blooming glory
now and I managed to take a few more shots before
they start shedding their blooms.
Besides folks I am too tired to take many pictures right
now. There is so much starting to bloom now and I have to
get some more pictures. I also have a mystery to share with
everyone later on. I know someone will tell me what happened.







This Rhodie is an old one and the name of it has gotten
lost somewhere along the line.




Can you see the smaller dying Rhodie in front of the red one?
It is my yellow Capistrano. I do not know what is ailing it.
Maybe it is getting too much sun or is diseased.
It and the red one are more in the open, where the
lavender one is sheltered beside the house. The red one
has fewer leaves too so maybe they are reacting to the
wind and weather.
Anyone got any remedies or ideas?



Happy Gardening Everyone!




14 comments:

Tessa said...

Just beautiful, Lona! My neighbor has a Rhody, but it sure doesn't look anything like yours!

Stephanie said...

Hi Lona, the Rhododendron flowers are beautiful. I never come across this flower and the Capistrano before. Sorry, not able to help you on the remedy part. Recently when the weather became so hot I thought I needed to water my plants more frequently but for a few plants, I just realised that I was overwatering them. Those plants became 'lifeless', hence I got to repot them into fresh soil. Hopefully they will grow well again. Sometimes, when the weather changes, that's when plants get into problem. Btw, tq for dropping by my blog. When I go visit nursery, I will get something that grabs my attention also. Have a great day!

Cathy S. said...

Rhodies can grow in the sun, but they do prefer afternoon shade, they love acid fertilizer, Mulch, and dead head them after blooming is done. My mom who is a shrub and tree expert tells me to put peat moss into the soil around azeleas and rhodies. Your other rhodie sure looks beautiful!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I don't know very much about rhodies, there are two here that were here when we bought the house. One grows giant and so huge I have to prune it every so often. The other grows very twisted with leaves only at the top. They are in the same growing conditions. I do they like a good amount of shade and acidic soil.
The picture of the two with the tree in the center is nice, it makes me want to take a walk and see what's going on around the other side.

Kelly said...

...I love the shade of the first flower. They are all beautiful. Also....in the previous posts, I love the drooping Rose Barlow. The close-up angle is so unusual I keep going back to study it!

Anonymous said...

Hi Lona~~ Beautiful flowers. My suggestion is to call your local Extension Service and talk with a Master Gardener about the issues with your Rhodies. They may have a website as well.

I know what you mean about being tired in the evening. But it's a "good" tired.

Heather said...

All of your blooms are lovely! What a nice thing to look at in this early summer!

millie said...

Gosh. I know what you mean. The back is cracky and my steps are slow and my fingernails are dirty. I marvel every time I look at rhododendron and azalea flowers. sigh...so awesome. I alternate between the big dirt garden and the yard..I think I better get on the mower this afternoon. Have a nice weekend. Wish I was camping down your way this weekend.

Unknown said...

I would love to sit on that bench in the early morning with a steaming cup of coffee!

Anonymous said...

Sorry, I don't have any rhodie answers for you, if I did, then mine would look better! LOL Even though mine are mostly shaded, they struggle every year to be healthy. I'm about to give up and plant something else.

Phoenix C. said...

Beautiful rhodos! Wish I could help you regarding the yellow one, but I can't think what the reason could be.

lynn'sgarden said...

Hi Lona, too bad about the capistrano...you usually don't see a yellow one..maybe because it's prone to problems? I too took alot of photos today of my purple and red rhodies..they are at peak right now :)

Sabrina said...

My understanding is that rhodos like acid soil -- it's actually hard to grow them here in Ohio because the soil is so alkaline. You might want to try adding Holly Tone. Good luck!

Jan said...

Gorgeous. Read, and repeat. Over and Over! I don't want to type Gorgeous 100 times!!!! Anyway, the colors are so deep and there is such variety! I have azaleas, but no rhodies! I had one and it died, so I didn't try again...I do azaleas well so I stick with them
;-)