JARS v59n3 - American Rhododendron Society 2005 Grant Awards

American Rhododendron Society 2005 Grant Awards
Bill Mangels
Endowment Fund Chair

At the April 2005 meeting of the American Rhododendron Society's Board of Directors in Victoria, British Columbia, action was taken to provide grants to projects that will support the Society's mission to educate and provide interest in the culture of the genus Rhododendron. The American Rhododendron Society (ARS) awarded grants to the Halls Road Garden Society of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles County, California..

The Halls Road Garden Society (HRGS) received its award of $2,514 for development of a woodland garden featuring plants hybridized or developed by ARS Gold medalist Dick Steele. The HRGS garden objective is to establish a site available to visitors and study groups for testing cold hardy species and hybrid rhododendrons in zone 5–6 conditions..

Descanso Gardens seeks to expand their collection of vireya rhododendrons. The Gardens began a small, experimental collection of vireyas in the 1990s and has found a successful site with which to expand the collection. Descanso seeks to promote the beauty of this under utilized rhododendron and make this collection accessible to visitors, horticultural professionals and rhododendron enthusiasts. Descanso Gardens will receive $3,486.

The ARS Board is pleased to provide these grants from income derived from the Society's Endowment Fund. While the Endowment Fund has been in existence a number of years, it has only recently reached a size where it is capable of producing income to sustain a grant program. Since 2003 the ARS has awarded seven grants totaling $23,400.