Speaker Biography

It’s February, and time once again for a favourite raconteur of rhododendrons. Last year we journeyed with Clint to Ireland. We eagerly await his latest touring account spiced with his celebrated brand of wit.

Clint Smith’s annual talk is both an upper and a downer for the average rhododendron grower. His talks are well presented, showing us species in bloom from early Spring to late Summer, and his memory for Species identification phenomenal. It is hard to believe some people can actually identify most slides without using notes! Clint also is able to remember where the particular species is located; Scottish gardens of Stonefield Castle, Glen Arn near Helensburgh...(which is pronounced Helensburra as in Scots...not burg as in Germanic!) Brodick Castle, Pukeiti in New Zealand, Irish gardens; English gardens: Leonardslee in Sussex, Exbury near Southhampton and the list goes on. His photography of the genus is excellent and certain anecdotes make the listener laugh with the absurdity of it all; of people comparing leaf length with tape measures! Most outstanding to Clint and probably to most of us was the Queen Mum's R. makinoi in Great Windsor Park; for a slow growing species that was one amazing bush! His talk mentioned good species for the garden as well as his suggestions for hybridizers eg. yakushimanum x williamsianum and some of the best yellows to cross: wightii, wardii, xanthocodon. Also bringing our attention to R. occidentale, our fragrant Pacific coastal species to include in our gardens.

The down side of a presentation like that is to see mature rhododendrons of a century and a half in full glorious sunshine with trusses the size of basketballs and compare them to one's own species which in ten years might have reached a reasonable height of five feet or might still be less than a foot high eg. makinoi. Species which are shy to flower under twenty years are not as easily given space in the smaller garden even though foliage and bark are far more interesting. It is true as Clint said that we plant for the next generation. But, in this part of the world, there are few gardens which stay in the same family for successive generations, and those with space may be subdivided to ease the housing crunch. There are not too many like the Ahbkazi Garden which has a group of wonderful people who have saved such a garden as a heritage site. As well, there are many people who as they age, need to move to something easier to take care of. So these magnificent gardens of the U.K. and N.Z. are becoming public trusts for an ever increasing population to walk through and marvel at the growth of tree rhododendrons. For the average grower, species rhododendrons which attain tree proportions, are unusual in one's lifetime, and those who have such gardens are blessed. For the rest of us in our own gardens, such slides as we viewed, amount to a dream.