Ray Wood rhododendrons on show

One of the largest rhododendrons in the collection, R. basilicum

One of the smallest: R. petrocharis, Jim Russell's own collection from Fan Jin Shan, October 1985,
under the number GUIZ 120. A very rare plant in cultivation, it seems.

An excellent example of Jim Russell's planting in Ray Wood - a beautiful mix of colours.

The collection of rhododendrons planted by Jim Russsell in Ray Wood at Castle Howard during the 1970s and 80s has long been regarded as being of exceptional interest - not only for its diversity but for its location. North-eastern England is not generally regarded as the best place to grow good rhododendrons, but Jim knew what he was doing, choosing a cool north-facing site with constantly moist rich soil, with remarkable results. Unfortunately this treasure trove was badly neglected after he died, until the Castle Howard Arboretum Trust received a very generous grant from the Monument Trust to undertake its restoration. This began in 2010, with Jan Hoyland as Curator. Together with her assistant Jonathan Watkinson , and a dedicated group of volunteers, she rescued the woodland garden in Ray Wood from oblivion under the closed canopy of increasingly large oaks, and from being swallowed under laurels and brambles. The work is still going on, now under my guidance, but the past couple of years' hard work is showing in the current superb display of a diversity of rhododendrons in full flower.


Cut stems for the show  brought down from Ray Wood.

To celebrate this resurgence, and help tell a wider audience that Ray Wood is worth visiting again, I took a selection of cut stems to the RHS Late Rhododendron Competition being held at Harlow Carr, Harrogate, this weekend. Nicola Hall, our Plant Records Manager, helped gather the flowers yesterday, and I staged them on behalf of the Ray Wood Volunteers this morning. I learnt a lot in a hurry about staging rhododendrons to the satisfacton of the judges, but we were awarded two firsts (for a trio of hybrids, and a single truss of a hybrid) a second, a third, a fourth and a disqualified (a magnificent stem of R. basilicum deemed to have three trusses instead of the permitted one). Not too bad for a first attempt!

Part of the Late Rhododendron Competion at RHS Harlow Carr today. Five Ray Wood specimens are visible on the front table (not the pale one on the right)

The first prize-winning trio of hybrids (fron to back): 'Juanita', 'Carita' and 'Ibex'

card for 'Taurus'

'Taurus' in situ.