Be amazed by rhododendrons

And not only the detail of the flowers, but the way they sit among the foliage is pure plant perfection.

Rhododendrons have been a familiar sight in this country since the middle of the 19th century when the Victorian collectors and plant-hunters began bringing back specimens predominantly from China, Japan and the Himalayas. Yet they retain their exotic beauty and still make a big impact wherever you come across them.

Anyone who has wandered through a spring garden bursting with rhododendrons in flower must want to enjoy a slice of that glory on their own patch. The good news is – anyone can. At its simplest level, dwarf rhododendrons can be enjoyed in containers on a patio or balcony.

The Yakushimanum (otherwise known as Yak) hybrids grow slowly, and, with the right feeding and watering, will put on glorious displays of flowers year after year without ever outgrowing their space.

Container growing allows all the benefits of being able to get the soil conditions just right and you can relocate your plants as the fancy takes you. If you’ve got more space, you can make them a bigger part of the garden.

Acid soil is generally a must, although the RHS has been running long-term trials on lime-tolerant varieties and it may be worth asking after Inkharo hybrids (claimed to have a degree of lime tolerance) at your garden centre. Combine larger plants with ferns, perhaps in the shade of mature trees. Hostas make great partners too.

Try matching the Rhododendron ‘Blue Peter’ with Hosta fortunei to get maximum value from the lilac flower heads of the rhododendron. A worthwhile guideline to keep in mind is that the more floriferous a variety is, the less suitable for naturalistic settings it tends to be.

For this reason, the really showy examples, like Rhododendron ‘Linda’, with its vivid cerise flowers, are best nearer the house. Bigger rhododendrons have the potential to provide useful screening against eyesores or for protection from a busy road. Equally, there are dwarf alpine varieties that are perfect in rock gardens, for example, ‘Dora Amateis’.

If you want to see just how good rhododendrons can be, visit the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park, near Grewelthorpe, Ripon (www.himalayan.garden.com, 01765 658911), next month.