The November Meeting 2001

“Mary Grieg and the Royston Rhododendrons”

In 1944, when Mary and Ted Grieg became charter members of the ARS, it was determined that fully 10% of all the rhododendrons grown in North America came from the Grieg’s Royston nursery. Judith Walker took us on an historic journey through the lives of the Griegs: their early family life, the beginnings with their relocation to Royston, and the rich life of their garden through mid-20^th century. Judith has almost completed her book on the Griegs and we look forward to its publication.

Mary Grieg (nee Sillence) was born in England in 1897, emigrating with her family in 1911 to Duncan where she met her future husband, Ted. They were married in 1919 following Ted’s return from the war and took up residence in Royston. Ted worked for Customs and at the beginning their garden was devoted to raising vegetables, but Ted soon made way for his great hobby of collecting and raising alpines.

Mary and Ted got to know the Buchanan-Simpsons who operated a small nursery of alpines and species rhododendrons at Cowichan Lake. In 1935, the Griegs were persuaded to purchase the nursery when the Simpsons re-emigrated to France. And that marked the start of the Grieg’s famous pioneering of rhododendrons. Moving the multitude of plants was a summer’s work of weekends, but at last, the “Royston Alpine Plant Nursery” sign was erected. Soon the alpines were overtaken in importance by rhodos, and an early catalogue listed some 86 species. An early visitor from Sunningdales Nursery, became a lifelong friend of the Griegs – Alleyne Cook – himself a distinguished present-day rhododendron personage.

Over the years the Grieg influence spread through the rhodo ‘world’. The Griegs became charter members of the ARS. Mary learned Latin and studied botany at the urging of their scientist friends. Her objectives in developing hybrids was tasteful indeed: she worked on later flowering, on scented features and towards more and better yellows, saying “who needs another pink?” The Griegs were well acquainted with the Milners, whose Qualicum Beach estate has emerged as the modern-day Milner Gardens and Woodland.

Ted Grieg’s health began to fail and in 1965 he and Mary decided that they could carry on no longer. Mary organized the sale of the rhodo collection to the Vancouver Parks Board, insisting on the services of Alleyne Cook to handle the massive undertaking. Ted died in late 1966, not long after the ARS Gold Medal was awarded jointly to him and Mary. And the Grieg collection lives on in the Ted and Mary Grieg Rhododendron Garden in Stanley Park.

In 1982, Judith Walker met Mary and began gardening for and with her. Their friendship deepened over the years until Mary’s death in 1990. Judith’s story of the Grieg’s was amply illustrated with pictures of the family and property over the years. Her book will serve as an important chronicle in the history of rhododendron culture in the New World.