I'm telling you right up front that I killed this plant, and it could have been avoided. If only I'd listened to the advice I give people all the time.
THE FACTS: I bought three rhododendrons in June and two of them diedly, suddenly like rhodos do, with no helpful warning signs like wilting. That's a 33 and a third percent survival rate. And here's the point: I was home every day. I thought I was taking good care of them. I was in my garden probably 13 days out of every fortnight (I have English readers now and I want them to feel included.) I'm not saying my care was perfect, but it demonstrates it has to be perfect if the damn things have a chance of surviving their first summer.
I probably never would have gone public with this but yesterday I wrote about Paul James, about how he gives the exact same advice that I'd so recently ignored, and I just had to come clean with it. And now that I've gotten it off my chest I feel I can learn from my mistakes and look to the future, a future of planting in the fall if possible, early spring when necessary. I feel better already.
From my original site, Zoey said, "I feel your pain." Said she may reconsider buying rhodos. Sandy added that rhodos are not low maintenance but she still loves them. Her favorite is Lateri King George, her all-time favorite shrub in the garden. Sylvana said she's killed every rhodo she's ever planted. Mrs. Wilson then told us she has a dozen and they're beautiful and wants to know - is it her beginner's luck? I responded that I thought it was her climate in the Pacific N.W.- much more favorable to rhodos than the heat of Maryland.
Posted by: Susan | September 05, 2005 at 07:49 PM