That is some kind of "big leaf" rhododendron. I don't have one. I have no doubt a grafted one would grow well for me...at least the hardiest big leaves like R. rex. So this is perhaps a good time to express my increasing infuriation with the paucity of what we should perhaps call "performance grafting" in the US. (Vs. something like Japanese Maples, which much be grafted, so is really propagative grafting) . Probably the biggest rhodo nursery in the world, Baumeschule Hachmann in Germany, ONLY produces grafted plants. Namely for performance reasons, too, although the concern there is limey soil, not hot, wet soil. Though they surely also have a awareness that certain cultivars will do better grafted, even in chilly north Europe. The Scottish Coxes, gardening in the most maritime of climates, nevertheless complain that certain cultivars perform better if grafted, in their vast encyclopedia of hybrids. As far north as MA, a R. rex in a collector's garden died one hot summer ,not one winter. The root rot is even a problem up there! So absolutely, grafting onto a rot resistant rootstock would allow R. rex to survive here. Even on the benign North Island of NZ, it's been done to permit certain big leaf species to grow without threat of root rot collapse. But here? I'm not going to name names, but feel like I've exhausted my options for convincing a commercial source to do it. Am I too cynical to wonder if they just like knowing a certain % of what they ship outwith the PNW is likely to eventually die of root rot? And thus need to be replaced? Perhaps. Or maybe it's just "this is the way we're always done things, and we don't like upstarts with new-fangled ideas". At any rate it leaves the only option being trying to breed tougher big leafs. Tim who sometimes posts here, is raising some promising hybrids, including one involving the native Rhododendron maximum. (Which still isn't tough enough to be seen much south of DC, in the Piedmont and plains at least.)

BenT, thanks to your photo and comment about Sam McGredy’s book, Look to the Rose, I couldn’t resist purchasing a used copy. It came today and I was thrilled to recognize that the cover photo was Matangi!! The write up devoted to Matangi was representative of the fabulous rose I think Matangi is. He started out by suggesting how the public grows weary of rose breeders bragging on how novel their new rose is. Then he says there can be no argument about the novel quality of Matangi. It sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s color combination is completely unique and the rose is also almost instantly recognizable even when its not in bloom. Matangi has very dark, rather small foliage, but it is produced in such abundance that the leaf size becomes unimportant. (I didn’t know small foliage was considered a flaw!). He goes on to say the plant is unusually free flowering, even for a Florabunda. The growth is very even and the bush develops a nice shape. It repeats very quickly and the overall effect is graceful. He left out one of my favorite characteristics, how long the flowers look colorful in the garden, which is long after they’ve passed their prime. I love its very dark foliage and it’s handsome shape because it makes the plant fit into the garden so well. There are no ugly lower parts or awkward growth habits to disguise. Matangi was awarded President’s Trophy for the U.K. winner for the best rose of its year. Its name comes from a traditional Maori song with a haunting melody, “E rere ra et Matangi”. there is a WWII battleship from New Zealand named Matangi I am so glad I have this rose. I’ll always make a place for it in my garden.

Thanks! If you were to look at the damage today after reading what I wrote, you'd think I was some crazy lady. It's just straight ditch burn because our farmers, maybe most of them go around the perimeters of a field with a tractor and disc blade to keep a nice row of dirt between the wheat and fence lines. It worked great last night! Chispa, DH suggested the same thing you did, and later today I'm going to take a picture of the pole from bottom to top and look at it on the pc to see the exact area where the fire started. It was at that pole, other poles are good. Sandplum! When I became a country girl is when I learned about sandplums in ditches and then the great sandplum jelly/jams. I'm in central OK, west of OKC. The storms tried to begin right over us but went a bit south and formed. Gray, my kittty got royally put out with me. She must have hid in the garage during the ruckus and it was around 11 pm she walked to the door to come in. I always pick her up and she expects it, but we were once again getting high winds from being behind new storms and I had to hold the door so it wouldn't blow open. I reached down with one hand to grab her, she backed away and I ended up pulling a big chunk of hair off her back. She.was.mad. and wouldn't come inside until 8 this morning. lol Tina, in our situation she was only ten miles away in another rural town and had all the info she needed. Staying put during a rural fire would be the worst thing anyone could do. If the wind shifted just a little bit, the cedar trees would have spread the fire to the garage, then the house. With this being rural, the firefighters get called at home, most live in the country like we do, a few in town, they have to dress, and bring the trucks. It took them about 10-15 minutes for the tanker trucks which go in the fields to get here. Also, being small town, just say go to Oakley's house and they'd know where to go. Was it your barn that burnt? I'll be so glad when the wheat is cut and the fields turned over.

About 10 years ago, I planted some Summer Wine, Center Glow, Amber Jubilee, Dart's Gold and Little Devil ninebarks here in MN. My experience is they always get some mildew, but since the worst seems to hit in June it gets covered up by more growth. Only one year did whole plants get covered in mildew and that was Center Glow and Summer Wine, but they were no worse for the wear the following year. It has not happened since. Last year did seem a bit worse than normal, but it was probably the drought stress. In general, my solution has been to live with it and not fuss too much.