Tag: Botanical Garden

Rhododendron gardens

Just one of the many, many, wonderful rhododendrons in bloom
– D. Bedry
Some of the gang
– D. Bedry
A really nice day out
– D. Bedry
Taking time to smell the… everything!
– D. Bedry
Wow those are big
– D. Bedry
David Smith pointing out some of the features
– D. Bedry
A break in the shade
– D. Bedry
– D. Bedry
A lovely specimen indeed
– D. Bedry

Rhododendron gardens
by David Bedry, 27 May 2017.

Ten of us were blessed with a cloudless sky as we toured the amazing Rhododendron garden that David Smith has carved out of his property off Crowther Road, on the way to Okeover Inlet.

David’s is a year round labor of love as he plants not only rhododendrons from around the world, but other native shade tolerant plants in his hillside garden.  It’s really a Botanical Garden, with rhodos as the centerpiece.  To make a fertile and hospitable planting substrate David conditions the soil with native mulch.  All of has planting is natural as well as chemical free.  David was an excellent tour guide, telling us about his work in the garden and answering all of our questions.

David’s passion for what he does has spilled over onto two of his neighbours properties, creating a garden to rival any that I have visited both in Canada and abroad – and we have it right here in our own back yard!

David Ballantyne – “Botanical Gardens on the Big Island of Hawaii”

Rhododendron sp.
– N. Sakovich
David Ballantyne – “Botanical Gardens on the Big Island of Hawaii”
by Sherri Wretham, 23 May 2009

Dr. David Ballantyne has spent his entire life working with plants, beginning in his parent’s greenhouse business in Victoria.  After completing graduate work in horticulture at Washington State and the University of Maryland, he worked at the Agriculture Canada Experimental Farm at Saanichton.   In 1963 he obtained a teaching and research position at the University of Victoria, a position that evolved into a career lasting 33 years.

Most of his teaching emphasized plant physiology, while his research was involved in investigating plant hormones, and latterly, the effect of air pollutants on plants.  He has always been interested in rhododendrons and azaleas, and also in using greenhouses.  Since retiring in 1996, he has been involved in investigating the flowering, water relations and flowering of azaleas and rhododendrons.

He spoke to us about his recent travels to the Big Island of Hawaii, where he visited several botanical gardens…and continued to marvel at the azaleas and rhododendrons!