QBARS - v11n3 Cover Article

Cover Article
Rudolph Henny

The color illustration on the July cover of the Quarterly Bulletin is R. 'Naomi Glow.' This hybrid, whose parents are 'Aurora X fortunei , originated in the Exbury gardens in 1926. Eight clones were selected and named out of the group of seedlings and all have the same characteristic form of flower and foliage, but the color varies from a deep pink to nearly white, with shadings of yellow and green in some of the varieties. In the R. H. S. "Rhododendron Handbook" 1956 under R. 'Naomi' the following short note: "Best clones are 'Stella Maris', and 'Nautilus'. After observing all eight clones for the last seven years I have not as yet arrived at which single clone is the best or even which is a favorite. All of these R. 'Naomi' hybrids like others from R. fortunei are quite hardy and have done well despite a severe freeze in 1955 and 19567. R. 'Naomi Glow' as shown on the cover is one of the original layers from Exbury donated to the Society Garden at Crystal Springs by John Henny. The plant is growing amongst a group of the 'Naomi' varieties on the south end of the Island.

The color transparency was taken in May, 1957 at the Test Garden by the Society President C. I. Sersanous, and loaned to the Bulletin. The yellow or dark cream flowered plant showing only partially on the right is R. 'Carita'. R. augustinii is the blue on the left of the picture near the water's edge.