Rhododendrons, azaleas on show

Press, 20 October 1987, Page 12

Rhododendrons, azaleas on show

By DERRICK ROONEY Visitors to Canterbury University’s garden at Ham next Monday can expect to see red, but it will not be because they are angry; just the reverse, in fact Red is the colour with which the staff of the garden are preoccupied just now. Why red? Because, says the superintendent Mr Peter Cadigan, it is the most popular colour. Red predominates in the older plantings of early-flowering rhododendrons in the famous garden, which was begun more than a century ago, and is also the colour on which the garden staff have been concentrating in their recent raisings of new azaleas. ■

Many of these new reds should be in flower — along with the bright yellows, pinks and oranges for which Ilam azaleas are noted — next Monday (October 26) when the public are invited to visit the garden during the first of the two annual open days jointly promoted by the university and the Canterbury Horticultural society. The occasion will have additional attractiveness this year because the Canterbury Rhododendron Society’s annual show will be on just across the road, in the bailroom of the Students Union building. A special display of rhododendron flowers from throughout New Zealand, brought by dele-

gates to the New. Zealand Rhododendron Association’s ; annual conference,; WilT be mounted at' the show alongside the best of local rhododendron blooms exhibited by the society’s members. Rhododendron plants — some of them from Ilam — and other plants will be on sale from stalls. Ham’s open days have become a tradition since the university bought the homestead and garden after the death of Edgar Stead in 1949. Although the public are free to walk through the garden on any day, the open days have become special occasions which attract large crowds. During his 35 years of ownershlp.' Of Ham, Edgar Stead planted many hundreds of rhodo-

dendrons and azafeas, sorift , ported frdm England butmany/ . of them hybrids . raising. After aW to Ehgisind-ta ; .; 1925 he brought "tionof 500.pltmts ; English gardens; and these became the basis for his hybridising programme. The Ham strain of deciduous azaleas that he raised by crossing a Japanese deciduous azalea with European and North American species became famous for its range of bright colours and tolerance of adverse conditions. The : university staff have carried on the hybridising programme, with azaleas and recently seyesral new species have been imported for incorporation

fry*** mv. w* Vrin atoobe t able*oteeaieMive new plantingsof'rMdodeadrofts and azaleas in ther Ilam garden and to stroll among groups Of pew rhododendrons oaa stream-' side walk made 4 by clearing overgrown scrub and unthrifty trees. The rhododendron showwUl be open to the public from 2 par to 8 p.m. on Monday and from Iv a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday.<. The garden will be open from 11 ami. to 4 p.m. On each of ttOpen days, the second at whicft-wlifte. on November 1. \ - I •