The month for Summer Picnics and Celebrations

Rhododendron ‘Rose Tango’ Jim Barlup Hybrid

As many of you know, our recent Open Garden Tour at Verna Buhler’s beautiful Echoes of Nature garden was a great success, both socially and financially. The event not only provided a wonderful opportunity to share our passion for rhododendrons and gardening with the public, but it also helped offset the hospitality costs we incurred while hosting the ARS Tour of Cowichan Valley Gardens, featuring the gardens of Verna Buhler and George Morgen, Al and Liz Murray, and Elisabeth Zoffmann. Thanks to the excellent turnout of 131 visitors and their donations, the 16 May public tour successfully covered our cost overrun.

Summer Picnic and Annual General Meeting

Saturday, June 20, 2026
11am - 3pm

Home of Verna Buhler and George Morgen
3908 Cowichan Lake Road,
North Cowichan, B.C.

May is a peak flowering period for rhododendrons; several CVRS members opened their private gardens for friends to enjoy.

Deciduous azaleas drew the attention of many guests during the garden tours in May. When in bloom in spring, they light up the gardens. In summer, they blend into the greens; in fall, they dazzle with brilliant shades of red and yellow foliage; in winter, they are bare and humble once again.

Many hostas are still turning up that are infected with a virus called Hosta Virus X (HVX). The most commonly seen ones are plants of 'Gold Standard', 'Striptease', and 'Sum and Substance', but other common varieties are being reported infected in large numbers. No hostas are immune to HVX.

Please take note and prevent your Hosta from looking like this in four years. I regret postponing the little indicators of the HVX virus four years ago.

That time is now! If you attended the CVRS Pruning Workshop on May 9th, you have probably already cleaned and sharpened your tools and begun.

During a garden tour in May, one coniferous tree drew guests around it. They were pointing ‘plant identifier’ apps on their cameras to it and comparing their results. They appreciated the dramatic, stately, pyramidical form, and the full skirt of lower branches that arched gracefully out and down, and the plentiful, prominent cones that hung from the limbs.

Right next to a rhododendron that has given its all only weeks ago, and is now ready for deadheading, pinching and pruning, is a lovely colourful shrub earning its rightful turn in the garden.

PLANT SALE and GARDEN TOUR MONTH

Rhododendron ‘Starbright Champagne’ hybridized by the outstanding Whidbey Island gentleman, Frank Fujioka

Every successful volunteer organization has its public moments: the well-attended event, the beautiful garden, the busy plant sale, the polished newsletter, the community tour, the boisterous Christmas party, or the fundraiser that exceeds expectations. These achievements are often described as the work of a committee or a few visible leaders. But behind every success is a larger story: the quiet, generous, and often unseen labour of volunteers.

The regular Wednesday monthly meeting for May 2026, has been changed to Saturday, May 9, 2026. This meeting will be a workshop on pruning rhododendrons — when, why, and how. The Pruning Workshop will include both theory and hands-on instruction.

On Thursday, April 23rd, guests toured three Cowichan Valley Rhododendron Society members’ private gardens and enjoyed an outstanding luncheon in one of the gardens, catered by Step Up Catering.

Following the April 23rd CVRS garden tours for the American Rhododendron Society Convention, Sandy and I joined a group of convention attendees for a preregistration dinner at Qualicum Beach.  Among the diners were a number of notable people within the rhododendron community, who Sandy and I have known for many years. 

Alan Campbell is recognized for his outstanding contributions to the Genus Rhododendron and the international and local rhododendron communities.

Feature Tree for May

This tree, growing in Elizabeth Zoffman’s garden, attracted much attention during the recent Vancouver Island ARS 2026 Spring Convention garden tour.

CVRS members offer both
Member Only and Public Events

Rhododendrons are brilliantly colourful, attracting much attention in spring gardens. This fabulous garden colour can be enhanced and extended with the addition of species Paeonia growing in the sunnier borders.

Rhododendron 'Jim Barlup'

A new hybrid created by Marc Colombel of France and named after the late Washington State hybridizer Jim Barlup. The cross is R. 'Fire Rim' x R. 'L'Engin'. This plant is a registered tetraploid, so has more chromosomes. This means thicker stems and leaves, and sturdy flowers. The red-pink flowers have white centers with strawberry red spots.

Dear Friends,

Why Rhododendron Gardeners May Be Resting Their Brains Better Than Most

I have had something of a gardening revelation: pottering about among rhododendrons may actually count as brain care.

This idea stems from Dr. Joseph Jebelli’s writings about the brain’s “default network,” which activates when we are resting, daydreaming, or simply being quiet. Far from being idle, the brain may actually be in a state of restoration.