11. The Corner of Surprise
The Rhododendron trial garden.
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This is where we display surprising, unusual cultivars, some of which have yet to be formally named. It is effectively a trial garden. However, we have not dared to transplant some of the successes, so some now well-known cultivars are still here. A good example is ‘Golden Star’, which was the best of the yellow-flowered cultivars introduced from the USA. Similarly, the large-flowered ‘Golden Coach’ proved to be surprisingly hardy in our climate.
Not all cultivars fulfill one’s expectations. A still unnamed Scottish R. macabeanum × wardii cross from Cox seems less promising; and Hachmann’s ‘Herbstfreude’, although giving a good display in late May to early June, does not produce its main flowering in the autumn. By contrast, the ‘Osterschnee’ and ‘Gulliver’ of his proved to be fine additions to our early flowering cultivars. The latter surprisingly originates from R. adenogynum, a species with a bad reputation for producing poor-flowering progeny. It nevertheless produces dense growth and excellent hairy foliage.
