London - Although many trees and shrubs carry flowers in late spring, if you re looking for something spectacular rather than pretty there is only one option: rhododendrons.
This huge family of plants is prized for their flowers.
Ideal in beds, borders or pots, rhododendrons boast tubular, funnel, saucer or trumpetshaped blooms in shades of white, orange, red, yellow, pink and purple.
Some pack a heavy scent or are marked with contrasting stripes, speckles or blotches.
Largely native to the Himalayas, rhododendrons were first grown in Britain during the 19th Century.
Plant breeding has led to masses of showy varieties, with the latest edition of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Plant Finder listing nearly 4,300 different plants in the UK.
These evergreens vary in size from dwarf shrubs suitable for a modest garden to large trees. Most thrive in partial shade and acidic soil, although some limetolerant varieties have been bred.
For inspiration on what to grow, nowhere beats Exbury Gardens in Hampshire. Established by banker Lionel de Rothschild in 1919, the 200acre site on the banks of the River Beaulieu is crammed with 13,000 rhododendrons from 3,000 varieties.
Planting in the ground is easy. Dig a hole that is twice as wide as the pot, but no deeper - rhododendrons like to form roots near the surface and will sulk if planted too deeply.
Mix the excavated soil with some leafmould, place the plant in the centre of the hole and return soil. If you do not have acidic soil, grow compact rhododendrons in pots filled with ericaceous compost.
Another option is to plant limetolerant Inkarho varieties. Keep rhododendrons looking tidy by removing dying flowers. Use your thumb and forefinger to snap the heads off above a set of leaves.
Avoid pruning unless the branches are dead, diseased or damaged or are growing beyond their allotted space.
Rhododendrons are generally troublefree plants, but they may suffer from bud blast, a fungal disease that causes flower buds to turn brown and die. Remove and destroy infected buds in the spring. The disease is spread by leaf hopper insects. - Daily Mail