I’m from BC’s southwest coast, rhododendrons grow everywhere. They are the hedge plant of everything, but in Prince George, BC you will be hard pressed to find a rhododendron because they are just not zone 3 plants.
When we purchased our current home we were surprised to discover a rhododendron – but there was much hope and excitement because it truly is a gorgeous plant. Over the last few years, it has slowly died likely because I didn’t protect it from our unseasonably unpredictable winters.
As per the Farmers Almanac: Rhodys are fussier, preferring environments that are neither hot nor cold (Zones 5 to 8). They need a certain amount of chilling to develop strong flower buds. In the winter, protect rhododendrons from cold damage.
I did start out strong remembering to wrap my rhododendron, but slowly the task of protecting her from the weather was easily forgotten with everything else there is to do in the fall. Turns out, my style of gardening is not babying plants.
As a result, she’s slowly started to die. Last year we noticed the most death, and this year, the last of her branches have died. I have cut her back to all but one, but I suspect I will need to find another plant – or maybe it’s the opportunity to call this center garden bed goodbye.
Learning to care for an established garden you didn’t build yourself is an interesting journey. This year I’ve finally accepted that this is now my house and I don’t have to keep the garden beds the same. I’ve started to close up some of the beds, change some over to vegetables, and remove plants I hate such as the barberry that grows like wild and attacks me with vigour. I hate prning that damn thing, anddespite its gorgeous colour in the fall I said fuck you plant, I’m not caring for something I fear.
I’ve been considering a small cherry tree in her place. Something that can more aggressively take on the colder zone 3b winters of our region without the needed protection. I know that we will get warmer as climate change continues to impact our region, but also I know that the variable winters of a weakening arctic circle only lend to more challenging garden seasons ahead.
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