Sunday, November 20, 2005
Elepidote Rhododendrons
As the garden season sinks into winter's gloom, there are a few bright spots that presage a return of spring; I showed recently the new foliage of the primroses. A more substantial presence in the late fall garden is made by the elepidote (large leaf) rhododendrons, with their fat flower buds. I love everything about these bushes; their thick, green foliage, their buds, and certainly their lush, brightly colored profusion of early summer flowers. They are a little tricky for me, because the garden is all on a south-facing slope, so that in winter, these large-leafed plants get too much exposure to the sun. I'm actually going to eventually expand the garden to take in a bit of a northeast facing slope on the edge of a large ravine, just to have a better site for elepidotes. In the meantime I do the best I can; I have some conifers planted which eventually will give them some protection. 
// posted by IBOY @ 6:00 PM 
