NEWSLETTERVolume 20: 2 Editor: Ian E. Efford February 2009

The Cowichan Valley Rhododendron SocietyA Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society

PO Box 904, Duncan, British Columbia V9L 3Y3 http://cowichan.rhodos.ca

President’s Message

Wow what a winter we’ve had! So muchcold weather and so much snow! Who wouldhave thought that with global warming wewould have a winter like this.Hopefully Mother Nature’s ‘pruning job’ onyour plants was judicious and your rhodieswon’t suffer too much. On a walk around mygarden I was surprised to see how littledamage I actually had. It’s going to takesome more time to see if the cold weather gotany of the plants. Some of you that livefurther inland away from the ocean or athigher elevations probably have a lot moredamage.With the warmer weather, we can see thebulbs starting to peek above the ground. Ihave a primula that is sending out a blossomand the iris is pushing up leaves. Do any ofyou have any of the very earlyrhododendrons blooming yet?The next few months for the CVRS arecoming together. The speakers are lined upand the Executive is working at getting thingsgoing. The big event we still need to getorganized is the plant sale in May. So far notmuch has been done on that.See you at the meeting in February.

From the Editor

Leslie Drew suggested that I reprint thearticle by Roger Wiles as it sets forth veryreadably and succinctly the importance of the

What is Coming Up?

February 4th Wednesday 7.30pmBernie Dinter will speak on his visits to thewell-known rhododendron garden of Peter Stone.He says that “On May 21, 2001 and again May 7,2002, Peter Stone invited me to visit his 40 yearold Rhododendron garden on Maple Bay Road.All the plants were labeled and I was able tophotograph many of the varieties. Peter passedaway about 2 years later. This garden of matureplants was well cared for and showed how wellRhododendrons grow in our area.”

March 4th Wednesday 7.30pm:Siggi Kemmler speaking on the Fall Conferencein Hilo.

April 1st Wednesday 7,30pmDon Martyn speaking on Magnolias in the rhodogarden

May 2nd SaturdayCVRS Plant Sale

May 6th Wednesday 7.30pm

Wanda McAvoy speaking on Fraser Days inUcluelet April 29 to May 3, 2009.

April 29th - May 3rd

ARS 2009 Rhododendron Rendezvous in Everett,WA. [see below]

May 14 to 17 or May 21 to 24, 2009Proposed tour of Washington State Gardens

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Stoker/Simpson property on Lake Cowichan

in the botanical history of this part of theworld and the spirit of trust in which it wasbequeathed to University of Victoria. Thearticle was originally published in theFinnerty Garden Friends Newsletter and LakeCowichan Gazette.Another important article is a follow-up tothe account of Phytophthora in the UK by IanWright. The article by Hedy Dycksummarizes the steps being taken to managethe disease in British Columbia.Bill’s account of Glendale Gardens in anotherin the series “Gardens you must visit”.

Ian E. Efford250-597-4470 efford@shaw.ca

Membership Renewals

Some people have not renewed theirmembership this year. To do so, please sendyour payment to our Treasurer, JudeenHendrickson at 1765 Pritchard Road,Cowichan Bay V0R 1N1 or talk to SandraStevenson, our Membership Secretary, at thenext meeting. Only paid-up members willreceive the newsletter after this month.

CVRS Christmas Party

For those of you that attended the Christmasparty you know what a great evening we had.The appetizers and desserts that we sharedwere varied and delicious and plentiful. Wehad a good time with the “raffle”, althoughthere were a number of people that weren’tlucky enough to have one of their ticketspulled (that would be me! I guess that I wastoo busy drawing everybody else’s numbers).Alan Campbell’s game was a real challengeso we will have to ‘bone-up’ on our rhodieinformation for the next time he gives us one.There were a lot of people to thank forhelping to make the evening a great success.Those people were thanked formally in my

email to everyone in early December.The raffle generated $265, which was splitbetween the Cowichan Valley BasketSociety and the Cowichan Valley SalvationArmy. They were most appreciative when Itook the cheques around to them onDecember 4th.The Cowichan Valley Basket Society alsoreceived three large containers of fooddonated by members at the party and by themembers of the Mill Bay Garden Club.Thank you to everyone for making it asuccess.

David Annis

Sunshine Cards

Mary Gale, our sunshine lady, asks that youinform her if you know any member who isill or bereaved. She will then send a cardfrom the society. She can be reached at 743-9329.

Rhododendron RendezvousEverett, WA.

April 29 to May 3, 2009.

The ARS Board meeting is on Wednesday,the 29th and tours start on Thursday, the 30th.There will be a half day of educationalworkshops on Saturday. For more details,please see the web site at www.ars-2009-convention.org. There will be on-lineregistration with credit payment available.

Don Smart, Convention Chairman,Cascade Chapter

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THE COMMON ROOTS OF ANUNCOMMON LEGACY

Roger Wiles

As gardeners we are often consumed by theminutiae of seeding, propagating, cultivating,pruning, tending, nurturing, et cetera, etcetera, et cetera. The mundane chores areendless, and at times can seem interminablythankless. We toil in the moment, yet, we areever mindful of our connection to a greaterscheme.As we weed and water, we also, with ahopeful spirit, plan to preserve this cultivar,extend that bed, and to anticipate seasonalchanges. It was Jeanne Suzanne Simpson’sinner gardener that deliberately planned forthe continuity of her beloved garden andCowichan Lake lands. Mrs. Simpson’s visionand common sense garden planning wouldseed the extraordinary success that is now theUniversity of Victoria’s Finnerty Garden. Herkeen environmental awareness prompted amost noble gesture of gifting the University ofVictoria with an ecological field station thatsoars in educational and experiential value asadjacent lands are debased.While Mrs. Simpson and her late husband,Buchanan were bereft of children, she was notwithout maternal instincts. These were manifest inthe caring for her plants and wild creatures and theland. Her bond with nature was profound. Thepeninsular property on the edge of Cowichan Lakewas her 25-acre protectorate and sanctuary for over55 years.

Starting in 1912, she and Buchanan lived aboard a“float house” as was the custom. From their rusticshack atop rafted logs, they developed a plant nurserybusiness on the shore of Marble Bay that helpedsustain them in their early years. It was a singularblend of circumstances that augured their pioneersuccess. Mrs. Simpson was university-trained inbotany and their friends and mentors at CowichanLake, the Stokers, were very knowledgeable of thelocal flora and fauna and well connected with theinternational garden community.

Amongst Cowichan’s earliest naturalists, Richard andSusan Stoker were instrumental in guiding andencouraging the talents of the younger couple. TheSimpsons were invited to tie up their float house onthe sheltered edge of the Stoker property and begintheir plantings. To her final days, Mrs. Simpson self-effacingly wished all tributes to pass over her and restwith the Stokers.

It was this long, harmonious, productive associationbetween the two couples that created a famed gardenlegacy, especially in the realm of speciesrhododendron culture on Vancouver Island. It wasthis bond and succession lived out over so manydecades on this Cowichan Lake property, (Lot 29),which impelled Mrs. Simpson to think in terms of

2008-9 DirectorsPresident: David AnnisVice President: Alan Campbell2nd Vice President: Janet GardnerTreasurer: Judeen HenricksonSecretary:at Executive Meetings Janet Gardnerat General Meetings (vacant)Members at Large: Sharon Tillie

Jeremy EvansMarie Therese EvansBill Dumont

2008-9 ConvenersLibrarian: Leslie BundonNewsletter: Ian E. EffordGarden Tours: (vacant)Spring Sale: (vacant)Club Liaison: Ingeborg WoodsworthRaffle: Judeen Henrickson and

Hilda GerritsMembership: Sandra StevensonSpeakers: Alan CampbellTea Coordinator: Cynthia Gracia[for 3 meetings only]Ways and Mean: (vacant)Website: (vacant)Social: (vacant)Historian: Mona KaiserPropagation: Alan CampbellSunshine: Mary Gale

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continuity and a plan for the future. With the Stokerslong gone and Buchanan’s death in 1958, the urgencyfor this plan intensified.

Mrs. Simpson wished the property to be kept in asnear a natural state as possible, to preserve the virginforest and other undisturbed natural habitats. To thisend, she sought the advice of trusted friends. Thosefriends included Yvonne and Trevor Green of LakeCowichan, Mary Grieg of Royston, and Mrs.Roderick Haig-Brown of Campbell River. During thisperiod of deliberation, she approached her friend andneighbour across the lake, Ed Roberts. Mr. Robertswas superintendent for the provincial ForestryResearch Station at Mesachie. He advised that whilethe Department of Forests would certainly accept agift of land, they could not promise to honour anysort of protective covenant.Roberts then continued discreet inquiries on Mrs.Simpson’s behalf that led to the involvement of Dr.

Marcus Bell of the Biology Department at theUniversity of Victoria. Following an amicable seriesof negotiations, title of this historic property wasquietly and without ceremony passed to theUniversity in 1966 on the mutual understanding thatit “be used by the University for scientific research,or study, in related fields.”The Stokers and Simpsons have passed on but theirlegacy endures because of Jeanne Suzanne Simpson’scommon, garden-variety determination. Thousands ofvisitors a year enjoy the Finnerty Garden on theGordon Head campus which receive most of theexotic plants from the property in the 1970s. Formore than 40 years, scores of students have had theprivilege of learning in the midst of an outdoorclassroom on the edge of Cowichan Lake. Othersearching souls have found in this forest sanctuary aplace of retreat and quiet contemplation.

How thankful Mrs. Simpson the gardener must be!

This unfolding June truss is from a remnant rhododendron plant on the Simpson property atCowichan Lake. Most of the original exotic plant collection was relocated in the 1970's by theUniversity of Victoria to the Gordon Head campus where it became the nucleus of the FinnertyGardens. A few magnificent specimens survive at Marble Bay, some of which were seeded 90years ago. A further historical tribute was paid to this colourful heritage, when the Town of LakeCowichan created a new Rhododendron Memorial Park in May 2008.

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Phytophthora ramorum in BCCurrent Situation

Hedy DyckNursery Industry Development, BCLNA

Phytophthora ramorum is a fungus-like diseasethat affects a large range of host plants. Themost well-known symptom is the sudden deathof oak trees in California and Oregon, fromwhich the nickname ‘Sudden Oak Death’ orSOD’ has been coined.

P. ramorum has been found in the wild in somecounties of California and Oregon since theearly 1990’s. P. ramorum is found sporadicallyin nurseries in BC, from infected plants whichhave moved through the nursery system frominfested sources elsewhere. P. ramorum does notexist in the natural wild setting in BC and therehave been only periodic incidents in nurseriessince 2003.

Where P. ramorum is found, the Canadian FoodInspection Agency enforces a eradicationprotocol that includes destruction of infectedplants, as well as uninfected plants in theimmediate vicinity, and remediation of the siteto limit the risk of any disease remaining in thesite.

Over 165 nurseries in BC voluntarily participatein the P. ramorum Nursery CertificationProgram. The P. ramorum CertificationProgram uses a systems approach, based on theguidelines of NAPPO’s RSPM No. 24 (cleanstock program) to minimize the risk ofimporting and transporting this pest. There arefour main components to the program:

1. Implementation of Best ManagementPractices (BMP’s) including bio-securityprocesses in keeping with the risk level of thenursery

2.Development of a nursery certification manualoutlining BMP’s in place

3. Sampling and lab testing of a minimum of 40

samples of host plants for a minimum of twoyears, when Best Management Practices arefully implemented

4. An annual audit by an independent third partyauditor to verify that the BMP’s are in place.

The BC Landscape & Nursery Association iscommitted to working with nursery growers,regulators and government officials to limit themovement of this disease into BC. It iscommitted to protecting the environment, forestsand gardens in BC through the implementationof this voluntary Certification Program.Nurseries from the US States have also come toBC to participate in the workshops to learn touse the tools to fight the disease in their facility.This program has been reviewed and used as areference by other organizations like theCalifornia Oak Mortality Task Force(www.suddenoakdeath.org) to develop theirregional programs and resources to help limitthis disease in their jurisdiction.

BC nurseries participating in the program arelisted on the web at www.canadanursery.com;click on ‘Nursery Program’, then click on ‘P.ramorum Program’, then scroll down to thedownloadable list to ‘List of P. ramorumCertified Nurseries’.

For further information regarding Phytopthoraramorum, these are some useful websites:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/pestrava/phyram/sodmsce.shtl

California Oak Mortality Task Force(COMTF)

http://nature.berkeley.edu/comtf/

Department for Environment, Food & RuralAffairs (DEFRA)

http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/pramorum.htm

For further information regarding the status of

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the disease or the certification program in BC,contact :

Hedy Dyck, BCLNA P. ramorum ProgramManager at hdyck@bclna.com

Trina Tang, BCLNA P. ramorum ProgramCoordinator at ttang@bclna.com

David Woodske, Nursery Specialist, BCMinistry of Agriculture & Lands: Phone: 1-888-221-7141 or e-mail atdavid.woodske@gov.bc.ca

Shane Sela, Canadian Food InspectionAgency: Phone 250-363-3432 or e-mail atselas@inspection.gc.ca

Rhodos and Gentians

Bernie Guyader *

Now do we say Rhodos and Gentians orGentians and Rhodos, I suppose that if you are arhodophile the first order would be yours. Nomatter the order, they make a great combination.(Companion plants anyone) Our garden is inlarge part a rock garden with many alpine plants.Whenever I read or attend talks on companionplants, I am amazed that there is never anymention of Gentians. I suppose, I maybeprejudiced due to the fact that Gentians are myfavourite plants. I feel that the best companionplants have the same horticultural requirements asrhodos and bloom at different times, orcomplement the rhodos when they are in bloom. Ithink, possibly, the reason more people do notgrow gentians is because they have been told theyare difficult. I have found that if you give them theproper conditions most of them will grow andblossom happily for many years.I suppose if we mention alpines, we should firstconsider the Rhodos that are native to the Alps ofEurope, which are ferrugineum found on siliceoussubsoil and hirsutum, found on calcareous subsoil.We also have Rhodothamnus chamaecistis, whichwas previously known as Rhododendronchamaecistus. These are all perfectly happy on awell-drained rockery, in full sun with a mulch of

5 to 8cm(2-3in) of shale or rock chips. I shouldmention at this time I also grow R radicans on therockery, but on the north side in a more shadedarea. With the alpine rhodos you can growGentiana in the acaulis group such as alpina,kochiana, dinarica and clussii. Clussii in mygarden is more lavender than the usual deep blueof the others. It may not be to everyone’s liking.These evergreen gentians with their large showytrumpets, most of which are approximately 8cm(3in) long in a deep rich blue, bloom at the sametime as the rhodos. The plant height is about7cm(2.5in) with the flower rising up to 15cm(6in.)above the foliage. They simply require a well-drained, gritty soil in full sun. I top-dress themwith a handful of screened compost in earlywinter. The compost is worked in by the winterrains or even better by the melting snow. I thinkmost people lose these plants or have them dopoorly because they treat them too kindly. Givingthem too much moisture and fertilizer. Bloomingduring the summer, given the same conditions areGentiana septemfida, lagodechiana and manyother gentians from the Alps and the Caucasus.They are deciduous and grow to a height of 25-30cm(10-12 in.). I also have a summer gentianthat I grew from seed I received from a seed

exchange. It is supposed to be “paradoxa”. It is areat plant with some of paradoxa’s features,

probably a hybrid, definitely not paradoxa. Ithink it is the best summer flowering gentian Ihave grown.The following plants in our garden grow in araised bed about twenty feet by ten feet, on thenorth side of our house. The Gentians, whichgrow here where it is a little more shaded andstays moister, are the August blooming G.asclepiadea, or willow gentian. It comes inmany shades of blue and there is a white form,which is a little taller. They have upright archingstems to about 50cm (20 inches). They happilyhybridize and sow themselves through thegarden. The Asian gentians such as G sinoornata, ternifolia, and their many hybrids,bloom in September and October they are matforming with dark green foliage with largetrumpets from the darkest blue to white. Theseare the easiest to propagate as they root wherethe stems touch the moist soil. G. paradoxa,from the Caucasus, is also fall flowering. It has a

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long blooming period sometimes extending fromAugust to October. It is more upright but doestend to trail. It is very attractive. Pale blue withdark stripes. They blend in well with Cyclamenhederifolium, both pink and white forms, whichbloom at this time. When the cyclamenblossoms finish, the colourful foliage in darkgreen and silver carry on the show.These companions are happily mingling with therhodos. I am drawn to the dwarf and lowgrowing rhodos, because they fit in so well withthe over all scale and scheme of things in ourgarden. I much prefer the species but I havemany hybrids as well. The species are R.impeditum, keleticum, williamsianum,cephalanthum and psuedchrysanthum. I havetwo campylogynum hybrids, at least I think theyare hybrids, I got them from Tom Bowhanseveral years ago. One he named 'Ester Berry',which is very attractive, and 'Jade', which hasdark shiny green foliage and a dark plumcoloured bell blossom, is one of myfavourites. With these I have some of the 'birds'from Peter Cox. Centred between two brightblue hepaticas, is R. 'Ptarmigan'. The hepaticasblossom slightly before Ptarmigan, but they arestill in full bloom when the pretty white bells ofthe rhodo open. . 'Kim' another campylogynumhybrid is another favourite, even though Coxcalls it muddy. R williamsianum with its pinkbells is between R. 'Ptarmigan' and 'Egret', greatcontrast.Also in this bed we have Trillium hibbersonii, adwarf species native to Vancouver Island, about5cm(2in.) tall with pink blossoms on three-inchstems and Cyclamen coum which blossoms inthe spring.One other gentian which I have in the garden iscalycosa, it grows to approximately thirtycentimetres, has a large tubular, light blue

blossom. This is a North American native, whichis found from British Columbia to Californiagrowing in meadows.In conclusion, think Gentians, there are over 400species so there’s quite a choice. Many differentcolours and size ranging from mat forming tothe 100cm(36 in.) G lutea, which is yellow andthe root, is used to flavour Schnapps. I havementioned the ones that are most likely availableand the easiest to grow and they are the natural

companions to rhodos. You might have to searchfor them at specialty nurseries, one of which isMt. Tahoma Nursery, but they are worth everyeffort. For more information read “Gentians” byFritz Kohlein or “The Genus Gentiana” by JosefJ. Halda

[* Courtenay resident Bernie Guyader, and hiswife Gloria, have been members of the NorthIsland chapter since the first year in 1985 andhave attended several ARS conventions. Inaddition to Rhododendrons, Bernie has a keeninterest in alpine plants, and has spent manysummer days exploring the hillsides andmeadows of Mt. Washington. One of Bernie'sfavourite pastimes is the training various trees inthe art of Bonsai. ]

This article was reprinted from the newsletter ofthe North Island Rhododendron Society.

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Gentiana cachmerica

Genitana asclepianea

Gentiana acaulis

Gentiana brachyphilla

Gentiana tibetica Gentiana clussii

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Edmund de Rothschild

Lord Rothschild died this month. He isfamous for revitalizing the garden at Exburyin the New Forest between Southampton andLymington in the south of England, one ofthe most famous rhododendron gardens inthe world and one that is very well worthvisiting if you are in England. Associatedwith this garden was a well-known nurserythat supplied Exbury rhododendrons. Thisnursery recently closed because of thedevastation of Phytophthora.The Telegraph obituary mentions someaspects of his involvement with gardeningand these paragraphs are reprinted below."Edmund de Rothschild, who died onJanuary 17 aged 93, was senior partner andthen chairman of NM Rothschild & Sons,and a figure of international renown inhorticulture, especially in the field ofrhododendron and azalea planthybridization. After his return from theSecond World War in 1946, Eddy deRothschild set about the restoration ofExbury Gardens in Hampshire, the 260-acrewoodland garden created by his fatherLionel in the 1920s and 1930s. The gardenshad been greatly neglected since Lionel'sdeath in 1942.""Over the next 50 years he replanted somethree-quarters of the acreage, and producedseveral dozen new rhododendron hybrids.He also developed the highly successfulSolent Range of Exbury deciduous azaleas,which are noted for their strength andcolour. In 1955 he opened Exbury Gardensto the public.""Well into his eighties, Eddy de Rothschildwould hurtle around Exbury's network ofgarden paths (designed to be wide enoughfor his father's Armstrong-Siddeley) in asmall car with the number plate NMR 1. Hewould stop the car to pass the time of daywith the visitors, and liked to get out to hackoff dead branches and blooms with a stoutrhododendron-wood stave."

[Ed. I understand that the Exbury Garden

will be maintained by a public trust for theenjoyment of all.]

Volunteers

We need volunteers for some relativelysmall tasks. Without them, some tasks willbe abandoned!

Glendale Gardens & Woodland

Bill McMillan

Glendale Gardens & Woodland is run by theHorticulture Centre of the Pacific, a not-for-profit society created in 1979 with the dreamthat Victoria could and should become acentre of excellence for horticulturaleducation. In the years since, on 43 hectaresof Crown Land leased from the ProvincialGovernment, Glendale Gardens &Woodland has been created. The Society hasover 2000 members who support thegardens financially; many also volunteertheir time working in the gardens, onconstruction and maintenance and inadministration. The Gardens have a smallpaid staff working in administration,education and in the Gardens.Most of the land is vital green space and isdesignated as a conservation park devoted tothe preservation of the native flora andfauna. The Glendale Trail, designed to allowaccess without damage to the ecosystem, is apart of the Saanich Centennial TrailsProgram and includes loops for birdwatchersand dog walkers. A wetland, known asViaduct Flats, has become an importantwildlife sanctuary and as part of theColquitz waterway, is vital to the on-goingrestoration and enhancement of historicalsalmon habitats. A weir built in 2005 willhelp to maintain the water level. Later, anobservation platform was built and givesbirdwatchers a clear view of the manyreturning species. A pair of bald eagles

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began a nest in the spring of 2008; anexciting indicator of the rebalancing of theecosystem.The year-round gardens of Glendale arebeautiful examples of the potential inherentin every season. Glendale has an extensiveand successful system of volunteer-directeddemonstration gardens supported by localgarden societies and individuals. The DorisPage Winter Garden, begun in 1984 inpartnership with the Victoria HorticultureSociety, is a world class example of an all-season garden. The Takata and Zen gardensshow off Japanese garden style. Aceremonial teahouse, finished in 2008completes the picture.Vegetable gardens, orchards and a herbgarden demonstrate sustainable gardenpractices for food production. The droughttolerant and Mediterranean gardens aredesigned to make the best of the challengingclimate. The native plant gardens hold awealth of native plant material that can beintegrated into any garden. The children’sgarden is a great favorite for school toursand the birds; bees and butterflies gardenshows how to attract wildlife to a garden.Gardens devoted to hardy fuchsias, heathers,ornamental grasses, lilies and irisescomplete the picture.The rhododendron garden was created in1985. Tucked into natural woodland wherelight ranges from full sun to full shade,hostas, hardy fuchsias and other perennialshave been added for year-round interest. Thewide selection of rhododendron species andcultivars also provide a variation of foliagetexture, shape and colour, addingimmeasurably to the overall interest of thegarden. The heavy clay soil has requiredmajor amendments that were not adequatelydone at the inception of the garden. A muchneeded renovation began in 1994. Supportedby the Victoria Rhododendron Society andsupervised by Ted Irving, the work includeddigging in15 cm of coarse sand and 30 cmof leaf mulch over the site. The plan alsoincluded improvements in the drainage. Thecurrent curator, Bill McMillan, continuesthis work with the ongoing support of the

Society and a small, dedicated group ofvolunteers.Educational programs at Glendale includean accredited 10-month full-time LandscapeHorticulture Certificate Program at PacificHorticulture College, (PHC) and the MasterGardener and Junior Master Gardenerprograms. Under Community Education,courses are offered in a broad range ofsubjects, including a 30-session course onSustainable Gardening. A new slate isoffered every spring and fall with classes forthe novice as well as the experiencedgardener. Many have a practical hands-onaspect that takes advantage of the gardensand greenhouses.Events at the Glendale continue year round;including semi-annual plant sales, a springHeather Sale, The Arts at Glendale Gardens,a two-day event in August, and The OrganicIslands Festival in July.

The Gardens, just 12 km from downtownVictoria, are open year round. In thesummer, from 8 am to 8 pm- Monday toFriday, from 8 am to 6 pm on Saturdays andSundays. The winter hours are 9 am to 4 pm.

General admission is $10.00Seniors over 60 & students $7.50HCP members’ guests are $5.00

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The Christmas Crossword suggested by Roger Slaby seems to have been very difficultfor members. This may have been because it was created in the eastern USA under differentclimatic conditions. The answers are shown below.

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