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On Wednesday, April 14, 10 members and one guest enjoyed a beautiful day learning about rhododendrons and strolling through Bob Zimmerman and
Beth Orling’s well-established grove at Chimacum Woods near the Hood Canal. Bob is passionate about and has dedicated his life to the
stewardship of rhododendrons, and generously shared both his knowledge and professional expertise in propagating and growing these plants.
Bob fell in love with and began growing rhododendrons over forty years ago. While he enjoys the beautiful hybrids, the rhododendron species are Bob’s primary interest
and he has collected seed from species throughout the northern hemisphere. Of the 1,000 species, about 300 species populate the collection
in his garden, proving a reliable source of seed and cuttings.
It was obvious that all of the plants are lovingly cared for and club members noted the diversity of plants available for purchase and how healthy,
vibrant, and mature they were. Some of the species for sale at the nursery are not available commercially.
For those who want to learn more, here is a link that the Bainbridge Island Arboretum Unit #24 recorded of the talk “The Siren Song of Species
Rhododendrons” that Bob presented to them on Zoom, https://youtu.be/86EZgoZmQQk .
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