Epping Road Azaleas
Don looked at a fabulous floral display along the side of Epping Road, Lane Cove in Sydney. The display is made up of four hardy varieties of azalea: ‘Alba Magna’ or ‘Alba Magnifica’ (large white flowers), ‘Alphonse Anderson’ (light orchid-pink flowers, paler at the edge, rosy-pink in the throat), ‘Magnifica’ (large rosy purple flowers) and ‘Splendens’ (rosy salmon-pink flowers, with magenta spots). Amazingly, these plants not only survive the pollution and harsh conditions along the roadside, but they also flower profusely every September.
These azaleas are Rhododendron hybrids (also known as Tall Single Indica Azaleas). They are vigorous, long lived, mildly frost tolerant, more tolerant of poorer soils than other azaleas and more sun tolerant than other azaleas. However, not all azaleas are as reliable as these. Most azaleas do well when grown in pots, but when planted in the garden some azalea varieties deteriorate and die after only three or four years (or even less).
The azaleas growing along Epping Road were planted 30 years ago by Chatswood nurseryman, Doug Clark. They were planted in a raised garden bed to provide good drainage, and an irrigation line was installed along the back of the row. The grower who supplied the azaleas was Ed Artlett, an old friend of Don’s who ran Taihoa Nursery at Mt Irvine in New South Wales. To see the wonderful legacy Doug and Ed have left, just drive along Sydney’s Epping Road in September.
Further information
Azaleas are widely available at nurseries and chain stores, particularly in spring when they are in flower.
For information on growing azaleas in Australia, consult ‘Growing Azaleas’, by Allan Evans (Kangaroo Press, 1994).