I don't use burlap either, I don't see the return for the effort. Other cultural practices have a much greater benefit. Rhododenrons are pretty tough to grow well in southern Ontario, they require lots of ancillary care. You need to make sure that you've got hardy varieties, the soil composition is correct (high organic, well draining, acidic), planted in a sheltered position (part shade, little wind), the rootball was scored just before planting, topdressed and fertilized every year, and some shelter from winter sun. I did a phenomenal amount of work to ensure conditions mimic a rhodos habitat which in southern ontario, is not easy. One of the biggest shortcomings are the dry summers which can be made worse if you have a thirsty tree nearby (especially maples). I water at least once a week during the summer. The other shortcoming is the soil, which unless you live on the Shield, is exactly the opposite of what is needed. Instead of trying to modify the soil, I just ended up changing it. As for varieties, the Yak, PJM, and Finnish groups are the hardiest but any zone 5 rhodo will work for you. The Dominion aboretum in Ottawa has large rhodos, as does RBG in Hamilton. Azaleas are easier! Simon

Growing azaleas is not a carefree, low maintenance activity. I amend my clay soil with 6 inches of pea gravel and then 18 inches of loam, sand, peat moss, and pine bark, with additions of granular sulphur, and early spring Holly Tone fertilizer and again in October. Each year I top dress with compost, granular sulphur, and pine bark (many garden leaves have a pH too high for azaleas). The site has good air drainage, strong easterly sun, afternoon shade, and strong wind protection from the west and northwest. Many of my northern lights azaleas are over 25 years old and about seven feet tall, newer additions such as electric lights and candy lights are smaller, but gaining height. In the winter I protect the azaleas from white-tailed deer and rabbits. Some winters may be warm (+50 F.) and dry for a week or two and then back to -20 F. and lower. I check the soil which is well drained, if it is dry I get our the hose and water the soil, it saved my azaleas and evergreen Rhododendrons, as many in Michigan lost theirs because of dry desiccating winters. This happens about once very ten years. From July 10 until September 15 I monitor the soil water carefully and at the earliest signs of wilting, I water heavily. Azaleas need water but good air drainage in the roots too, so that is why they get easily desiccated in winter or suffer from drought in mid to late summer. Each spring I must remove the canker worms on the leaves or they will consume a big plant in a week and a small plant in a day. As I have large shrubs now, the show is spectacular. People within two counties come by to see the yearly show and enjoy the fragrance. It is certainly very beautiful, but it takes a dedicated gardener-- I have killed lots of plants, but I make sure my azaleas have survived. I am a life member of the American Rhododendron Society and I knew the breeders of the azaleas, as they were my professors when I was an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota. I see many people install azalea beds, even in arboretums where the azaleas are neglected and look shoddy. It takes real dedication to grow them in the upper midwest and northern great plains. I lived in Edmonton in my youth-- very little grows there but the hardiest pine, spruce, fir, and aspen. In Edmonton, cool season annuals add color. By late summer the azaleas can look ragged but many have an interesting fall color similar to blueberry plants or some juneberries. I enjoy the architecture of the shrub in the winter and the large flower buds. In the spring, bumble bees work the flowers. I grow blueberries, bunchberries, huckleberries, lingonberries and cranberries in my azaleas gardens, as they all need an acid soil, plus my Magnolia virginiana tree which is way out of its range of the eastern shores of the USA, but flowers and has grown over 15 years to a height of 12 feet and one rare Asian maple that prefers/tolerates highly acid soil. When I first saw pictures of azaleas, I could not imagine them, as they looked like abundant daylily flowers on a shrub. But finally in the spring of 1975, I saw my first azalea in full bloom on the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus. I grow the plants in honor of the professors who bred them and Dr. Leon Snyder who initiated the breeding program in Minnesota. I even call my path by the azaleas-- the Snyder Walk. I live in the county where Leon Snyder was raised as a youngster. So indeed I am passionate about hardy azaleas, but they are not for the casual gardener and it takes about 10 years before the show to truly becomes impressive. I do not wish to discourage anyone, but the comments on these pages from others I can sympathize with and the reality of their experiences is very reasonable. For many, flowering shrubs/perennials such as spiraea, mock orange, lilac, peonies, viburnum, lillies, daylilies, and iris may be a better choice. Yours in communications, Jon

Pacific Giants tend to be leggy. Try English Delphiniums! You can get seed by joining the English Delphinium Society, or from Dowdeswell Delphiniums. If you thin your plants to 3 shoots in the spring you will put more energy into the remaining three shoots you may get better, moree floriferous plants. For more information go to English Delphiniums, Alaskan Style! Here is a link that might be useful: English Delphiniums, Alaskan Style

Woody, I'm glad they're doing so well for you! I'm going to keep an eye out for turkestanica, it looks nice in a clump and re-seeders are always welcome in this garden. I've had tulipa clusiana for years and it's even surviving in a lawn, although the rabbits are slowly killing it off as they chew it a bit each year. Socalgal your photo has me crossing my fingers they settle in. I love the bright centers with the violet-pink? tips. Maybe I'll put a few in the warm and dry spot as well as a few between some blue fescue clumps... I think they'll look great there even if they're less likely to survive. linaria the garden looks great. I suspect it has something of interest in every season and suspect the drainage is pretty good considering Eremurus manages to survive anywhere... here I've never had any luck. Good soil fertility in an area where it's all rocky and scrubby actually makes a good amount of sense. I don't know how those areas got and keep the fertility, but many fritillaria and tulips seem to really need more nutrition than than you would think when looking around their native haunts. I shall see if they return after the first year. If they do but look sickly I'll try and give them a good dose of fertilizer and see if that doesn't pep them up. Thanks for the thoughts... and the photos as well. This has me thinking of all kinds of 'other' tulips I could kill... I mean 'try'.