Our familiar friends, rhododendrons — the Washington State flower!
April 17, 2013, at the Madrona Room of Orcas Center
By Janet Jacobson
Plant lovers will find an incredible assortment of treasures, while explorers will find breathtaking geography when Bob Zimmerman shares the story of his plant hunting trip to Tibet and brings Rhododendrons to sell at the April Garden Club meeting, April 17, 2013, at the Madrona Room of Orcas Center.
Robert Zimmerman grows species rhododendrons at his nursery, Chimacum Woods, on the Olympic Peninsula. Some 300 species populate the collection in his garden providing a reliable source of seed and cuttings. His plant hunting trips are equal parts botanical, cultural, political and spiritual. This program on Tibet is no exception. It presents a one-month trip in 1997 capturing a culture on the brink of change.
Bob Zimmerman fell in love with rhododendrons over thirty years ago. Although hybrids offer fascinating and beautiful plants, the rhododendron species are Bob’s primary interest. A “species” rhododendron is a non-hybridized plant, which en masse form a stable population in the wild without human intervention.
Bob Zimmerman in his element –rhododendrons
Rhododendron habitats in the wild, particularly in China, are under constant threat from humans. Some are chopped down for firewood. Others fall under the road-builder’s heavy equipment or the farmers’ need to clear land for crop production. Except for a handful of dedicated botanists few seem to care about their future.
Bob has traveled with botanists, three times to China, once to Tibet. Given the constant threat to rhododendron habitats in China, it may well be that we in the West will be able one day to return offspring of these plants to China in future generations, when there is greater appreciation for the diversity of Mother Nature in China. Raising species rhodies is an investment in the future.
You can be part of preserving the gene pool of these magnificent plants while you enjoy their natural and enduring beauty in your garden. Keep them watered, but not soaked, and remember them sparingly with fertilizer on Valentine’s Day and Mothers Day. For more information see www.orcasislandgardenclub.org
