In landscape design, it is very important to choose the right elements for decoration. A bright and beautiful flower garden can always give a good mood, decorate the landscape. Rhododendrons are considered very popular, as flowering shrubs can turn any garden or recreation area into a beautiful and spectacular green islet.
There are many varieties of rhododendrons, but how to choose the most frost-resistant varieties for your garden? It is believed that growing them in our climatic conditions is not easy. I would like to figure out which varieties of these bright flowers are better to use, capable of overwintering and taking root in our climate?
Luxurious plants
Rhododendrons are among the most popular and beloved types of flowering shrubs. They are trees or shrubs and can decorate even the most neglected garden. There are more than 800 species and subspecies of these fragrant plants. Among them there are ideal options for creating a unique design for a recreation area. Many gardeners in our country believe that it is not easy to grow a rhododendron in their garden. In fact, you need to make the right choice of varieties that tolerate our winters well and can delight the eye with their bright, abundant color every spring.
For the first time in European countries, rhododendrons were brought 160 years ago from South Asia. During this time, evergreen shrubs have become very fond of. Breeders have bred many new varieties, differing in a wide variety of shapes and sizes of bushes, color coloration. These include thermophilic plants, but, unfortunately, they quickly die after harsh winters.
To avoid the death of the bush, it is necessary to select frost-resistant varieties of evergreen and deciduous species that can easily withstand low temperatures down to -35aboutFROM... Unlike thermophilic hybrid plants, they are easy to care for, observing all agronomic rules for this crop.
The best frost-resistant varieties
With a wide variety of new species, gardeners can easily choose the right rhododendrons for their garden. This type of plant does not belong to exotic, therefore it is successfully grown in many countries with cold climates.
Evergreen winter-hardy varieties:
Grandiflorum is a shrub reaching a height of 2 meters. Blooms in large lilac flowers.- Smirnova is a lush green bush, it grows up to 1.5 meters in height. Its inflorescences are collected in 10-14 pieces and form beautiful buds, pale pink with yellow specks.
- Short-fruited - can grow up to 2-3 meters. The bush often blooms with white large flowers, reaching up to 5 cm in diameter. Under natural conditions, it is found in Japan, in the mountains of the Far East, Korea.
- Golden - small in size, grows up to 1 meter. Its white flowers with a diameter of 5 cm are collected in the umbrella inflorescences.
- Katevbinsky - considered large, since it can grow up to one and a half meters. At the end of spring, it pleases with its large lilac-pink buds, abundantly covering the bush.
- Dense, tangled rhododendron (impeditum) - its crown is extremely dense, the bush reaches a width of 0.6 meters.Branches are erect, densely branching. This variety has a faint flower aroma. They can be mauve, pale purple, lilac blue. The bush grows very slowly.
- Helliki (hybrid) - compact and dense, grows up to 1 meter, bright pink flowers, collected in inflorescences. It begins to bloom in the month of May and ends in June. Loves partial shade.
Deciduous winter-hardy varieties:
- Canadian - looks like a branchy shrub, reaching a height of 1 meter. Inflorescences, collected in 3-7 pieces, form beautiful flowers.
- Kamchatsky is a small shrub that likes to grow in its natural environment on the mountainous slopes of the sea coast. It grows up to 40 cm, blooms with bright red flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, in the month of May.
- Yellow is a large shrub, reaching a height of 4 meters and a girth of up to 6 meters. Umbrella-shaped small inflorescences have a pleasant yellow color.
- Japanese - has a spreading crown and grows up to 2 meters in height. Blooms in large flowers, collected in inflorescences of 6-12 pieces.
- Pukhkansky - refers to undersized rhododendrons, grows up to half a meter in height. Has a dense crown, blooms in May-June, flowers collected in inflorescences of 4-5 pieces.
Growing and care
Rhododendrons prefer acidic soil, and even better peat. The soil substrate is prepared from a mixture of sand and sour peat in equal parts. It is desirable that the soil be loose and can pass moisture well. It is just as good to add chopped pine bark or coniferous needles into it.
Light partial shade from large trees is suitable for a permanent planting site. Open sunny areas for growing rhododendrons cannot be chosen. Spring is considered the most favorable time for planting rhododendrons.
When landing, you must drain the soil, it will prevent stagnant water after watering. It is advisable to plant rhododendrons in containers, in which the root system is not damaged or dried, therefore such a planting is more reliable. If planted without a container, then the plant cannot be buried deep. When the root collar is buried, it leads to decay of the root system.
The right place, careful maintenance and mulched soil will facilitate further care of the rhododendron. In springtime, it is recommended to make top dressing. Her choice will depend on the condition of the soil.
Very often, in the summer heat, the leaves on the plant become soft, so at this time it needs frequent watering. Drying out the root ball will be detrimental to the plant.
It is better not to get involved in pruning a bush, most often it is done as a sanitary one in March.
Frost-resistant varieties do not need shelter for the winter... Heat-loving varieties are sure to take cover before the onset of spring.
When buying rhododendrons for your garden, you must always take into account the climatic conditions. Frost-resistant varieties will be able to survive the frosty winter more easily. Proper care of the plant will save you from unnecessary problems in the future. The shrub will actively develop, giving its delightful beauty and enchanting aroma to others for a long period of time.
