It’s important to take time to stop and smell the flowers, such as the ones that have been blossoming at Nanaimo's Bowen Park every spring for 50 years.
The Nanaimo Rhododendron Society is holding a special event this weekend to invite community members to the park's Hailey Rhododendron Grove.
More than 350 rhododendron plants have burst into blossom each spring since 1975, when Ellen Hailey donated her collection of 350 rhododendron plants to the City of Nanaimo soon after the death of her husband Alfred. The Haileys were founding members of the Vancouver chapter of the American Rhododendron Society in the 1950s.
The Nanaimo chapter of the society formed in 1992, became involved with the Hailey collection, and in 1994 adopted the grove as a part of the city’s Partners in Parks program. It helped that the parks director at the time was a member of the club, according to a club press release. The group set out to map the garden and to identify the plants as most were not tagged by the Haileys.
The club became less involved with the grove until 2019 when the link was revived and today a small, dedicated group of volunteers work to remove the many invasive plants that compromise the collection.
The grove is in flower from late February until early July, but the height of the bloom is from mid April to mid May. Many of the rhodos in the grove are hybrids and some are thought to be one of a kind and some are between 60 to 70 years old.
“I think they can live a long, long time,” said Margaret Cadwaladr, society secretary.
Rhodo varieties have a broad size range, which is well-represented in Bowen Park.
“There are more than 1,000 varieties of rhodos that range in size, some being able to hold in your hand to more than 50 feet tall,” said Deborah Francis, who oversees work at the grove for the club.
Francis and Cadwaladr said blooming in the grove is a little behind where it would usually be at this time of year.
“We’re a couple weeks late right now, just given the cold snap of weather that we had,” Francis said. “Some of the bud got frozen because we were developing bud at that point.”
Members of the Nanaimo Rhododendron Society invite community members to explore the grove with them Saturday, May 3, from 3-5 p.m. starting at the Bowen Park tennis court.
Rhodo society members are active in the community, with events including work parties at the rhododendron grove and monthly meetings with guest presenters. Members propagate plants, support charity, and maintain an active association with Vancouver Island University’s Milner Gardens and Woodland. Yearly events include garden tours and social activities and the annual Truss Show and Plant Sale which will happen on May 10 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Beban Park Centennial Building.
This year’s sale will have rhododendrons and more, with enough exciting new and returning vendors to fill up the hall. The plant sale also features perennials, alpine and woodland plants, bulbs, pottery, used books and seeds.
“This year there’s going to be lots of rhododendrons for sale. They come from members’ gardens, some of whom are really quite expert at rhododendrons,” Cadwaladr said.
For more information about the society, visit http://nanaimorhodos.ca.
