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2006 ARS / ASA Joint Convention Sunday Tour - C |
Sunday - May 14, 2006
Tour C:Larger Private Gardens and McCrillis
On Sunday, we offer only one tour, but it will focus on some of the larger gardens
in the region including that of past ARS President, Ed Reiley. In addition, we will visit
the garden of the late George Harding whose grandson Mike White continues to tend, as well
as the public McCrillis Gardens,
and private garden of Norman and Jean Beaudry. Details of these gardens are provided below.
Reiley Garden
Reiley Ridge Nursery, the extensive garden that Ed Reiley and his wife Mary have
amassed over many years, will be a featured stop on this tour.
The garden is located in western Maryland, but contains a large rhododendron garden
on many acres. The lovely landscape is filled with mature plants such as
Joe Gable's 'Cadis' that Ed Reiley is admiring in the picture to the right.
Ed Reiley is past President of the American Rhododendron Society and received the ARS Gold Medal in 2004. He has also authored several books on horticulture and recently updated his excellent book, Success with Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Second Edition. When you see the health of the plants in the garden, you will understand why people in the region look to Ed as our resident expert on all things green. Ed has been an avid hybridizer for many years, and you will see many of his hybrids that he has been evaluating for decades, some of which he intends to introduce for the first time in our plant sale.
Beaudry Garden |
Beaudry Garden The Beaudrys have an extensive collection of rhododendrons on over 3 acres, including many rare Dexters and other East Coast hybrids, as well as species, evergreen and deciduous azaleas, wildflowers, and companion plants. They also have many of their own rhododedron hybrids that they have developed over the years.
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McCrillis Gardens |
McCrillis Garden The 5 acre McCrillis Gardens is actually a private home that was donated in 1978 to the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Montgomery County. It is managed as part of the larger Brookside Gardens but is not located nearby. McCrillis Gardens is noted for its elegant use of shade garden plant materials including mature azaleas, rare trees, and many companion plants. In addition to the older plantings, they have expanded the garden to incude many newer selections, too.
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White (Harding) Garden |
White (Harding) Garden Mike and Debby White run a small nursery on the land adjacent to that of his late grandfater, George C. Harding, one of the founders of the Azalea Society of America. For many of the "old guard" in the ASA who remember the many contributions of George Harding, this will be a rare chance for a nostalgic stroll among some of the original plantings at the Harding estate.
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