Hot Winds, Cooked Flowers, and Resilient Rhododendrons What a windy start to our flowering season! Initially, our display garden was at least two weeks later than normal, but then one hot, windy Saturday arrived and everything seemed to change at once. The warm blast encouraged the flower buds to open — and at the same…
Read More
Fighting Thrips the Natural Way 🌿 If you’ve ever noticed silvery patches on leaves, distorted flowers, or tiny little critters hiding inside blooms – chances are you’ve met thrips. These tiny sap-sucking insects might be small (less than 2 mm long!) but they can cause a lot of damage in the garden, especially when numbers…
Read More
Why Are My Rhododendron Leaves Yellowing? Don’t Panic – It’s Nature Doing Its Thing! Isn’t the weather just wild lately? I don’t know about you, but my poor hens thought it was winter and stopped laying — then, out of the blue, the sun came out, temperatures lifted for a week, and voilà… eggs again!…
Read More
Powdery mildew has become a growing concern for many gardeners in recent years, especially on certain plant varieties. It’s a sneaky little fungus that starts small but can cause big problems if left unchecked. Let’s check out what it is, how to spot it, and, most importantly, how to manage and prevent it. What is…
Read More
Bud Blast in Rhododendrons Bud blast is a common fungal disease in rhododendrons that primarily targets the flower buds, preventing them from blooming. The disease is caused by the fungus Seifertia azaleae, which results in the death of developing buds. Affected buds may turn brown, black, or silvery grey, depending on the variety, and will…
Read More
Understanding and Managing Thrips Thrips, scientifically known as Thysanoptera, are tiny dark-coloured insects that can cause significant damage to plants. Despite their small size, about 2mm in length, thrips can wreak havoc on various plants, including rhododendrons. Here’s a concise guide on how to identify, prevent, and manage these pesky insects. Identifying Thrip Damage Thrips…
Read More
Rhododendrons exhibit a fascinating adaptation to cope with cold conditions. As temperatures drop, rhododendron leaves curl and hang down, creating a protective layer that reduces moisture loss. This behaviour eases the strain on the roots, which would otherwise struggle to extract moisture from frozen soil. Additionally, when snow falls, it interacts uniquely with rhododendron foliage.…
Read More
There is nothing wrong with your rhododendron unless all the leaves are changing colour. It is a very normal part of the lifecycle of the rhododendron for leaves to discolour and fall off. This happens after a leaf has been on the plant for 3 years. It is normal and there is nothing wrong with…
Read More
Rhododendrons are known for their beautiful blooms in spring, but what happens when they start flowering out of season? While this may seem unusual, it can actually happen for a number of reasons. This is predominantly due to the current weather patterns. As we are still in an El Nina, this has affected the temperatures…
Read More