The Wonderful World of Rhododendrons and Azaleas

The astounding beauty and diversity of rhododendrons available to us presents countless opportunities to enhance our gardens. With more than 1,000 species and countless hybrids, they collectively possess showy flowers in a kaleidoscopic range of colors, offer fragrance in many cases, and often present strikingly beautiful foliage. During this presentation on location at The Old Mill Building in West Tisbury, Tom Clark will take a broad look at this diverse genus touching on a bit of botany, conservation concerns, cultivation and care but will focus more heavily on the merits, characteristics and uses of a broad range of rhododendrons and azaleas well-adapted to our climate and growing conditions.

Tom Clark is the director and curator of the Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden in South Hadley, MA, and previously curated living collections at Polly Hill Arboretum. A native of Hadley, MA, he holds a B.S. in plant science from UMass and studied at the Threave School of Horticulture and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. His passion for plants, especially rhododendrons, has led him on plant exploration expeditions to China, Japan, and North America. Tom and his wife Sandy live and garden in Granby, MA at their property, Ledge End.

This presentation is sponsored by The Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club  Sign Up Here