Wrong Place for Rhododendrons

This extension to the upper Wattle Woods Garden was one of my biggest garden mistakes. Rhododendrons will not grow under Wattles, and since this archive photograph was taken the poor suffering plants have been shifted twice to try out new homes.

new rhododendrons - from the archives

I'd been reading some scary books about sculptures leading the eye on, and I was mimicking them by erecting a haybale. It didn't work either.

The New Rhododendron Garden

But finally, the rhododendrons are all shifted out and into their new and permanent home - near the big Willow stump by the water race. It is a testament to the survival instincts of these noble plants that they have survived to live again in the Willow Tree Garden. And just this spring (in 2004) they flowered - beautiful!