Hybridizers' Test Garden For Mid-Atlantic Region
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Row 1: Bisque (Ahern), Sun Dust (Anderson), Angelina Dee (Doppel), Beatrice Hyde (Murcott), Austin’s Firecracker (Doppel), Bob’s Peach (Bondira). Row 2: Cosmic Candy (Moser), Mike O’hara (Minahan), Yellow Eyes (Fitzburgh), Willa Jane (Ahern), White Elegans (Brack), TT220 (Murcott). Row 3: Diane’s Delight (Doppel), Speckled Honey (MacMullen), Winsome Winnie (MacMullen), Tiered Yellow (Minahan), Sidney V. Burns (Murcott), Sugaree (Moser). Row 4: Great Gatsby (Brack), Sea Gold (Anderson), Scintilation x Apritan (Hyatt-McWorther), Ruth’s Showstopper (Doppel), Rhein’s Luna (Rhein), Purple Elf (Schannen). Row 5: Hannah Grace (Ahern), Madeline Winter (Moser), Kenny Mac (McDonald), Lavender Ice (Schannen), Love Child (Schannen), Gilbert Myers (Myers op). Row 6: Cynosure (Shapiro), Garnet Thomas (Ahern), Dream of Kings (Frederick), Norm Beaudry (Minahan), Cause of our Joy (Minahan), April Rhapsody (Anderson). Row 7: Cyclops (Rabideau), Anita Gehnrich (Waldman), John C. White (Ring-Goodrich), Catherine Josephine (Kline), Christian’s Art (Murcott), Elmer’s Gift (Morris). Row 8: Kayla Joy (Ahern), Lumos (Ahern), September Song x Fashion Plate (Roberts), Rhein’s Picotee (Rhein).
HISTORY
In March of 2020, Karel Bernady, Perc Moser and Tom Ahern met with Joe Minahan to re-kindle an idea that had been talked about for years: setting up a rhododendron hybrid test garden at Tyler Arboretum. Sadly, just after that meeting, Joe was diagnosed with terminal cancer. At his funeral in July, it was determined that we would set up a meeting with Tyler to talk over the ideas that we discussed at that earlier meeting. In August 2020, the Task Force met with Tyler’s Executive Director, Mandy Santiago, Director of Horticulture, Mike Karkowski and Olivia Kirkpatrick, Curator of the Wister Rhododendron Collection. We then asked Michael Martin Mills to join our task force so that we could take advantage of his detailed knowledge of rhododendrons. We were also keen on tapping his writing expertise and experience as North American rhododendron registrar. From that meeting a focus was agreed on: to provide an opportunity for eastern hybridizers to introduce and display new rhododendron hybrids for the enjoyment of the general public. The scope included both lepidote and elepidote hybrids named and/or registered by current and past hybridizers living within a 150-mile radius of Tyler Arboretum.
A process was then developed on how to choose the plants for the garden.
Once a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed, a ten-member selection committee was formed to determine the plant choices, and solicitation letters went out to hybridizers and interested parties, asking for plant nominations. The committee consisted of the task force, as well as Ron Rabideau, GPARS president; Steve Wright of Jenkins Arboretum; Carol Segree, PVARS president; Peter Zale of Longwood Gardens; Mike Karkowski and Christian Stoltz of Tyler Arboretum.
While the plant selection process started to take shape, Tyler took up its responsibilities. Immediately after the MOU was signed, Tyler removed eight large trees from the garden area, creating light for the garden. Also, three applications of herbicide were applied to eradicate poison ivy, briars and other difficult weeds.
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Delaware Valley Chapter Visits Site on Oct. 15, 2023 (photo by Mimi Favre)
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TEST GARDEN
A software program was developed by Steve Henning to collect nominations for the garden. A deadline was set for entries and then after the deadline a tally was made of the approximately eighty entries. Forty plants were chosen along with six alternatives in case plants were unavailable or failed to root. At the top of this page is a poster with plant photos and a listing of plants chosen along with their hybridizers. You can see the diversity of the plants and where they came from by the names of the hybridizers. If anyone is interested, there are still a few of these 24x36 posters available.
Six cuttings of each chosen plant were taken from August through November, 2022. A big thank you to Karel Bernady and his crew for coordinating the taking of the cuttings and sticking them. All wintered over and rooted nicely at the Steven Kristoph Nursery and are starting to show new healthy growth. Tyler Plants.
The MOU that was signed also determined how the expenses of the garden would be split between the Task Force and Tyler. Each would pay half of the initial start-up costs and then an annual fee to be determined by the expense of a part-time intern to preform maintenance. Tree removal alone cost $18,000. Thanks to the generous start up donations of the Greater Philadelphia, Valley Forge and Lehigh Valley Chapters, along with individual donations, we were able to pay our $9,000 share. Another payment of $4,000 was made this spring. Tyler will continue to prepare the garden and complete the landscape process until the plants are ready to go into the garden.
The people in charge of the future of the Tyler Rhododendron Hybrid Test Garden.
The people in charge of the future of the Tyler Rhododendron Hybrid Test Garden.
Left to right: Tom Renke and Brian Layton, garden volunteers; Christian Stoltz, project coordinator, Tyler; Karel Bernady and Perc Moser, Task Force; Mike Karkowski, Director of Horticulture, Tyler; Michael Martin Mills, Task Force; Mike Skuja, Executive Director, Tyler; Tom Ahern, Task Force. A special thanks to Tom, Brian and all the other volunteers for helping to bring the garden to life.
NOMINATION
To be eligible for consideration, the original plant must have bloomed at least three seasons and must have at least six 2" or longer current year’s growth shoots for cuttings. The test garden is for cultivars hybridized (or grown from seed) in the mid-Atlantic region. The selection of test cultivars will be based on flower colors (especially distinctive coloration), distinctive foliage, plant habit, plant size (relative compactness preferred), cold and heat tolerance, disease resistance, and ease of propagation. The nomination form will ask why the cultivar nominated should be chosen. To nominate a cultivar, a form must be filled out and submitted to the selection committee. After the nomination form is filled out, it and 2 photos are to be attached to an email and sent to smhenning@me.com. One photo is to be of a truss and one photo is to be of the plant (preferably out of bloom). The Founding Task Force reserves the right to use submitted photos in printed material and electronic data transfer.
After filling out this PDF and saving it, remember the name of the file you save it to. Then create an email and attach this file and your two photos to the email. Then send the email to smhenning@me.com. You will receive an acknowleging email.
SUPPORT
Since the Task Force is responsible for 50 percent of the costs of developing and maintaining the garden, we would value your support. Here are instructions on how to donate, either for the first time or again.
In November, 2021, the ARS Executive Committee approved the proposal to create an ARS committee to provide a conduit for contributions under the 501(c)(3) status of the ARS, to manage and track financial donations, and to oversee the project. The Tyler Arboretum Rhododendron Test and Display Garden has commitments and support from the three chapters in District 8 (Greater Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley & Valley Forge), and Tyler Arboretum. The ARS committee is seeking donations from interested parties and to applying for grants to support the project. Tyler Arboretum will create its own funding mechanism as costs are to be shared equally. The ARS committee plans to find funding from chapters, individuals, naming rights, and endowments/grants.
If you would like to support the Tyler Arboretum Rhododendron Test and Display Garden, donations can be made via PayPal or by check. Checks should be made out to 'The ARS' and must include 'Tyler Garden' in the memo section to ensure the Society places them in our account. Mail checks to:
Perc Moser
ARS/Tyler Test Garden
301 Caversham Rd.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
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If you wish to make an honor or memory gift, you may use the Donation Form.
If you wish to donate using PayPal, please click on the button below:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=HCZCETNGASEY8
All donations fall under the ARS’s 501c3 status and are tax deductible.
We would like to thank you for the very generous contributions from ARS chapters, foundations, and individual members. They will ensure the financial success of our project. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Karel, Perc, Michael, or Tom
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