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Niagara Region. HRIO Azaleas and Rhododendrons at
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| What is clear, however, is that interest
in hybridizing azaleas and rhododendrons started in the late 1950's with
Roy Forster and the encouragement of, the then Institute Director, Dr.
E. Frank Palmer. Prior to that time, in the early 1950's, Bob Fleming,
a newly minted Ontario Agricultural College graduate, established several
new beds of broad leaved rhododendrons and attempted to grow plants from
seed obtained from this planting. A number of Catawbiense seedlings were
grown and ultimately planted in strategic locations along a creek bank
and in front of the Administration building. A few are still to be seen.
None was named and introduced though one or two had definite merit. This
was the beginning of the "Rhododendron Project".
In the late 1950's Roy Forster came on staff to work with Bob Fleming in the ornamental field. A Kew graduate, Roy sparked the project and an extensive planting was planned along the creek bank and a program of plant breeding was begun using hardy named varieties and selections from outside sources. A group of seedlings from an Oregon nursery formed the nucleus of the Exbury azalea breeding which has resulted in the introduction of several "Vinecourt" selections. During Roy Forster's time the woodlot garden, the principal test grounds for hybridizing program, was developed from what previously had been the station dump. The soil is a sandy loam, well drained, and the woodlot is composed of a mix of hardwoods but predominantly red oak. Little preparation, apart from clearing underbrush, was needed to establish a good collection of evergreen rhododendrons. From breeding, to the late 1950's, two selections were introduced including "Vinestar" a deciduous rhododendron, early blooming with pale yellow flowers and hardy to -20C. A rich, red, evergreen rhododendron named "Vivacious" was also introduced and while not as hardy (H3), was exceptional in colour and was offered by several American nurseries. Ken Begg, a Niagara Parks graduate, succeeded Roy Forster in 1969 and continued the breeding project with, primarily, the ever-green, broadleaf forms. "Vinecrest", a rich yellow evergreen rhododendron, was discovered among a group of seedlings in the nursery and was subsequently introduced to the trade. Al Smith succeeded Ken Begg in 1974 and brought an amateur plants-man's perspective with an extensive knowledge of Rhododendrons to the project. The project moved ahead in leaps and bounds. A Ministry publication was produced and has been revised to update the information. Propagation received increased attention and many rooted cuttings were distributed for trial and to further the interest in Ericaceous plants. During this time in the early 1970's the Niagara Branch of Rhododendron Society of Canada was founded with the encouragement of Al Smith and the leadership of HRIO. This coalesced interest in Rhododendron in a united group of enthusiasts who started to share their private growing interests and experiences with a wider community. Al Smith made contacts across the country and in the United States and was significantly influenced in this thinking about hybridizing and growing rhododendrons by David Leach and Weldon Delp. The result was that many new and interesting selections found their place into the Horticultural Research Institute landscape. The woodlet remained primarily a seedling trial area and in a sunny portion of the woods the deciduous azalea plantings resulted in several of the "Vinecourt" series of azaleas. The popularity of such an extensive collection attracted much attention locally and internationally and received HRIO's support for its development through to the second half of the 1980's. The Rhododendron Project ended in 1987 with Al Smith's retirement, subsequent untimely death, transfer of the HRIO facilities to the university of Guelph and removal of Ontario government funding for horticultural research and extension services.. The woodlot and the azalea plantings are an important site for those interested in the history of development of interest in rhododendrons in Niagara. The gain in popularity of Rhododendrons and Azaleas can be contributed substantially to the efforts of Forster, Begg and Smith. Examples of their work is shown in the accompanying photographs. Acknowledgments
Azaleas and Rhododendrons at Guelph University, Ontario.
Rhododendron
Society of Canada, Niagara Region.
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The
Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario (HRIO) in Vineland, Ontario,
on the shores of Lake Ontario, and 12 miles from Niagara Falls, has been
growing deciduous azaleas for at least 50 years. The date of the first
planting of Knaphill or Exbury types is faded in history. 