Many people think that rhododendrons are to big for patio and container gardening (though practically any rhododendron can thrive in a container the size of a half wine barrel), but there are two types of rhododendrons, maddenies and vireyas, that are perfect for patio and container growing.
On Tuesday, February 20, 2018 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th. Avenue in Santa Cruz, the Monterey Bay Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society shall again present a program by Mike McCullough on Maddenii Series rhododendrons.
Maddenii Series rhododendron species range from the Himalayas down to Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam. Many hybrids in the in the nursery trade were hybridized or raised from seed within 400 miles of Santa Cruz, including Eureka, Fort Bragg, San Francisco, Kensington, Oakland, Hayward, and Watsonville; all very likely within Sunset Climate Zone 17. Hopefully an Aptos hybridizer, Nancy Ledyard, will soon name and register some of her hybrids. Maddenii Series rhododendrons can spend many years in 15 gallon containers. Many maddenies have fragrant flowers.
Mike McCullough is a charter member of the De Anza Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, a long time member of the Monterey Bay Chapter, for many years gardened his mother’s garden in Aptos where maddenies spent well over twenty years in 15 gallon containers, and at his San Jose apartment has over 100 rhododendrons in containers.
Information on the Monterey Bay Chapter, and the rest of the American Rhododendron Society can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/MontBayARS/
https://www.rhododendron.org
https://www.rhododendron.org/membership.htm