QBARS - v21n4 Grays Harbor Show Report

Grays Harbor Show Report - 1967

The rhododendron show held May 27 at the National Bank of Commerce was again an eye-catching event of considerable interest to all who saw it-gardeners and non-gardeners alike.

The bank lobby was transformed into an airy and spacious garden containing exotic blossoms in the entire range of colors-yellow, apricot, orange, red, pink, lavender, purple, white, and in every tint and hue, with leaves in all sizes from a half inch to a foot in length, and plants in height from a veritable small tree (one pink flowered davidsonianum measured 12 feet) to dwarf rhododendrons and azaleas of four or five inches.

A particularly outstanding plant was 'Lady Roseberry' exhibited by Clarence Burlingame, which had hundreds of drooping bells of an enchanting warm shade of pink. Large clumps of maidenhair fern and a carpeting of green moss added to the setting of this jewel of a plant.

The Marshall exhibit of large blossomed pink rhododendrons was backed by a tall copper beech and a tricolor beech, with smaller evergreen trees and a green Japanese lace-leaf maple interspersed, and faced down with flat spreading Gumpo azaleas.

The Hughes Nursery of Montesano showed two lovely lavender oreotrephes backed by interesting small trees. The Cecil Nyman Nursery of Central Park had an exhibit with a wide range of bloom color tastefully blended.

In the rear section, the La Vances of Elma put in their usual fine garden with a back fence, garden gate, stepping stones, and rock, planted with rhododendrons and companion plants, and this year featuring 'Mrs. Furnival'.

Containers used for the cut trusses were some beautiful clear glass bottles resurrected from a dump and cleaned and polished with much care and hard work by Mrs. Burlingame and Mrs. Joe Brant. These added much to the overall good looks of the hundreds of blooms shown.

Awards were won as follows:

  • Spray of blue flowered species exceeding 3 feet at 10 years:
    1, Mrs. Robt. Berry, augustinii
    2, Mrs. Edward Maxey, augustinii
    3, Clarence Burlingame, augustinii
  • Species over 3 feet not covered above:
    1, LaVance, cinnabarinum
    2, Mrs. J. H. Haines, concatenans
    3, Burlingame, cinnabarinum
  • Species under 3 feet:
    1, La Vance, neriiflorum,
    2 trichostomum sper., Burlingame
    3 charitopes , Layritz form, Burlingame.
  • Spray deciduous azaleas:
    2, Haines. 'Superba'.
  • Spray evergreen azalea:
    2, Maxey, 'Ward's Ruby'.
  • Spray named Exbury or Knaphill azalea:
    1, 2, & 3, Berry, 'Homebush', 'Orangeade', 'Old Gold'.
  • Spray unnamed seedling Exbury or Knaphill
    1, Berry, 'Hugh Wormald' x 'Klondike'
    3, Haines, yellow.
  • One truss of cream rhododendron:
    1, LaVance, 'Zuyder Zee'
    2, La Vance, 'Betty Robertson'
    3 Berry, 'Show Off'.
  • Truss of yellow:
    1, La Vance, 'Lady Bessborough'.
  • Truss of pink rhododendron:
    1, Berry, 'Mrs. Furnival'
    2, Burlingame, 'Mrs. E. C. Sterling
    3, Mrs. E. J. Wold, 'Betty Wormald'.
  • Truss of rose rhododendron:
    1, Jack Henry, Anna Rose Whitney'
    2, Burlingame, 'Lady Roseberry'
    3, Burlingame, 'Sunrise'.
  • Truss of red rhododendron:
    1 Mrs. Victor Manenica, 'Jean Marie de Montague'
    2, Mrs. Js- H. Haines, 'May Day'
    3, Cecil Nyman, 'Cavalcade'.
  • Truss of white rhododendron:
    1, Jack Henry, 'Mrs. P. D. Williams'
    2. Burlingame, 'White Swan'
    3, Mrs. Joe Brant, 'Loder's White'.
  • Truss of orange or apricot rhododendron:
    1, La Vance, 'Nereid'
    2, La Vance, 'Lady Chamberlin'
    3, Haines, 'Medusa'.
  • Truss lavender or purple:
    1, J. B. Henry, 'Fastuosum pleno'
    2, Burlingame, 'Van Nes Sensation'
    3, Burlingame, 'Countess of Athlone'.
  • Truss of azaleodendron:
    2, Berry, 'Broughtonii Aureum'
    3, Mrs. M. M. Pattison, 'Broughtonii Aureum'.
  • Truss unnamed hybrid:
    1, Haines, wardii x 'Nectarine'?
    2, Berry, 'Doncaster' x 'Nereid'
    3, Haines, magenta, parentage unknown.
  • Best truss in Show, Mrs. Robt. Berry, 'Mrs. Furnival'. Runners Up were James La Vance with neriiflorum , and Mrs. Berry, with 'Homebush' azalea.

Judges for the Show were Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Jacobson of Seattle, Mrs. Hugh Baird of Bellevue, and Walt Elliot of Shelton.