JARS v51n3 - Learn the Way to San Jose

Learn the Way to San Jose
Diane Weissman
Mountain View, California

You grow rho-d'-DEN-drons in San Jose? Clay soil, and it doesn't rain nearly enough! Rhodo-what? Reactions from gardening and non-gardening friends alike, when we tell them we belong to the ARS, suggest disbelief tinged with a sense that they question our sanity. But surprising as it may seem, we do grow rhododendrons in the Bay Area, and very successfully too. It's more than just sticking them in the ground, to be sure, but with a little knowledge and sometimes a little ingenuity the patient efforts of many members has spectacular results.

Warmer climates and infrequent frosts allows Malaysians to survive and bloom sometimes several times a year. Lava rock and redwood bark additives or soil replacement gives the rhodies the excellent drainage they seek, and the forests of our coastal hills provide the cooling shade to create an almost perfect climate.

We invite you to share a little of our success by joining us Oct. 10-12, 1997, at the 17th Western Regional Conference. We promise a warm welcome to those from near and from far, and unusual for a fall meeting, we expect our gardens to have blooms - even rhodies!

We are excited about our speakers, our tours and our economically priced garden style hotel. Take a few days from your leisurely life and try the pace of San Jose - you deserve the treat!