Tagged With: Bethesda

Rhododendron Leaves, McCrillis Garden

We drove down to Bethesda this morning to meet up with Dorothy and Jeff, who were on their way south but we needed to pass a few things to them and they had to stop at Fourth Pres. anyway. After we all left there, Cathy and I stopped at the American Plant Food garden center at River and Burdette. Cathy bought a few things there and then we went to McCrillis Garden, at the corner of Burdette and Greentree.

It’s not really the garden’s best time of year. William and Virginia McCrillis, who planted the garden before donating it to the local park service, mostly collected rhododendrons and azaleas (which are also rhododendrons), along with other ornamental trees and shrubs. In the spring, during that week or two when everything is in bloom the garden is, of course, spectacular. But there are things to be seen year round, if you like that sort of thing. We do.

I love the leaf shape of this Rhododendron species/variety. Sadly there is no tag telling what species or variety it is, so it’s not something I can easily get for my own garden. There are nurseries that specialize in Rhododendrons, though. I suspect if I contacted them and showed them this photo, they would be able to help me.