In the plant nerd world, certain plants are referred to as BIO plants. This means they are so odd or so poorly named, that they will be relegated to the world of “botanical interest only” (BIO). These are indeed, plants that only a mother could love. I couldn’t resist sharing a winter photo of our
This spring, I was fortunate to be able to visit the former garden of the late Camellia guru, Dr. Clifford Parks. One of the many plants that took our breath away was this unlabeled evergreen azalea. We were able to root cuttings, but now, I’m hoping someone out there in horticulture land will recognize it
Our collection of the native deciduous azalea hybrids, bred by the late Dr. Gene Aromi, of Mobile Alabama, is almost in full flower. Dr. Aromi was a professor at the University of South Alabama, who liked azaleas so much, he taught himself how to make crosses. During his lifetime, he named over 108 azaleas, many
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Few gardeners have probably grown the Taiwanese Rhododendron oldhamii, but this little-known species has become one of the most important azaleas in American horticulture. Here it is flowering in our garden in late spring. Then will be followed by a late summer/fall rebloom. Rhododendron oldhamii was named for British plant explorer Richard Oldham (1837-1864). Here’s
