Winter in the Rhododendron Species Garden, Part 1

 

Of the approximately 1,000 known species within the Rhododendron genus throughout the world, over 700 are represented in the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way, WA.  While the garden displays some impressive rhodies, my mission was to find new plants that not only survived but still look great after last month's big arctic frost where we had temperatures dip down to 10 F/-12 C.

First, let's take a look at a few ferns - the garden is filled with them. Dryopteris wallichiana is large and makes a very architectural statement.  It would make a great landscape fern even if it went deciduous in the winter but look - it's completely evergreen!

Dryopteris wallichiana

The garden also had a large clump of Dryopteris sieboldii.  This is my favorite fern of all time and I really mean that.  I am lucky enough to have this one in my garden.  It has a very tropical appearance yet needs no protection in our climate.

Dryopteris sieboldii

This stand of Blechnum chilense definitely took a beating during the frost but should make a full recovery come spring.  In milder winters the fronds will stay upright at 2-3 feet high.

Blechnum chilense

This was an intriguing one.  Brilliant red-orange foliage in early January?  What is this?  I need one!

Not sure about this one - maybe some kind of mutant Vaccinium ovatum??

As overpopulation starts becoming a reality in my own garden, miniature plants are becoming an increasingly vital commodity.  Rhododendron keiskei pulls off the miniaturized/dwarf look very nicely.  

Rhododendron keiskei

Speirantha convallarioides makes a nice evergreen groundcover and looks like it handled the subfreezing weather beautifully.  It resembles a miniature, flattened cast iron plant which it is indeed closely related to.  On top of that, it's very rare which makes it all the more enticing.

Speirantha convallarioides

Hardy scheffleras continue their invasion of the Northwest.  This one is Schefflera alpina and was collected by the director of the Rhododendron Species Garden, Steve Hootman, in Northern Vietnam.

Schefflera alpina

Here we have three Schefflera fengii specimens which were collected by Steve Hootman in the Yunnan province of China.  From the looks of the ground around the base of the plants (having a nerd moment here) it looks like they might have been covered in leaves during the frost.  I did e-mail Steve about this.  I'll keep you posted if I hear back.

Schefflera fengii

Iris foetidissima has been, until now, in the subconscious part of the plant wish list in my brain.  After seeing this beautiful clump of green strappy leaves with a few bright orange seed capsules, it is now in the conscious part.

Iris foetidissima

I was a bit disappointed by the lack of winter-blooming rhodies, but alas there was one very dismal display.  I'm guessing the ones that are supposed to bloom in winter had their flower buds frozen off by the arctic frost.

Rhododendron moupinense

Stay tuned for Part 2 coming up tomorrow, where I will take you inside the greenhouse and show you some exceedingly cool plants they have growing inside!

A Field Trip to Seattle University

Akebia trifoliata

It's not really a field trip...I am lucky enough to live only a couple blocks away from Seattle University, where they have an incredible selection of plants growing throughout their 48-acre campus.  Above, an Akebia trifoliata grows on an arbor at one of the school's main entrances.

Helleborus orientalis

Their selection of hellebores is fairly extensive.  Above, clumps of Helleborus orientalis are growing to perfection.

Iris foetidissima & Acanthus mollis

The evergreen leaves and red berries on Iris foetidissima give it a bit of a subtropical allure.  In the background is Acanthus mollis (Bear's breeches).



Daffodils blooming three weeks before the end of winter!

Helleborus argutifolius

This might look like a grouping of 10-15 separate hellebores, but the light-green flowered hellebore in the center of the picture is growing from one solitary clump.  It's giaganitc!  I believe it is a Helleborus argutifolius.  The Helleborus orientalis growing in the foreground is of normal size and shows just how big the other one is.

Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa'

They have several very, very large Hollywood Junipers (Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa').

Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa'

When I first saw these, I thought they were miniature greenhouses:

They are in fact skylights to an indoor corridor below, which makes this a green roof.  Look at the size of those pine trees - not bad for being on a roof! 

There were a number of azaleas in bloom all throughout the campus.

Finally, I was thinking how odd it was to have a rail going into grass, as if anyone needing a rail would want to walk around in the grass.  But I'm now realizing this is probably some artistic symbolism.  I thought the way the kept their grass with weeds and all was actually very attractive.