Our speaker for the evening of February 18th will be Fred Whitney, currently the President of the American Rhododendron Society. His title: ‘You Grow Rhododendrons for the Blooms?’ Since Rhododendron is a genus probably having more beauty and diversity than any other in the plant kingdom, Fred will undoubtedly be talking about aspects that contribute to that beauty and diversity other than the flowers.

Fred and Ann Whitney reside in rural King County, south of Seattle, Washington, on five acres of wooded property. A two acre section has been ‘reclaimed’ from the forest and planted with 1,500 rhododendrons, along with companion plants, but no grass! Not surprisingly, it is a woodland collection, not a formal garden. Fred is a Past President of the Rhododendron Species Foundation, and in the second year of a two-year tenure as President of the American Rhododendron Society.

He also has a special fascination with Australia and New Zealand—both these countries’ plants and their people. Fred and Ann are members of the New Zealand Rhododendron Association, Christchurch and Dunedin groups, the Australian Rhododendron Society (another ARS!) and Members in Perpetuity of Pukeiti. They have visited New Zealand, usually lecturing and attending rhododendron conventions, twelve times.

It does appear, then, that Fred Whitney’s Canadian involvement should come naturally. Clearly, his involvement in horticulture, especially concerning rhododendrons, is manifest in many ways, and we will want to welcome him most heartily to Vancouver.