Friday-Sunday

101st Rhodendron Festival

The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 101st Rhododendron Festival May 16-18. This year’s theme is “Rhody Fun on 101.” The festival will include Davis Carnival, the 5- and 10-kilometer Rhody Run, live entertainment on the waterfront, the Rhododendron Queen’s coronation, an arts and crafts show, vendor rairs, quilt show, public market, historical displays, bridge lighting, classic car cruise, RV super show, boat show. Also featured will be “Bikers on Bay Street,” featuring motorcyclists from all over the country.

The grand floral parade will be held at noon on Sunday, May 18, featuring the cast of the History Channel TV show “Ax Men” as grand marshals.

The chamber is still taking applications for the parade as well as the public market and vendor fairs. For more information, those interested can call the Florence Chamber at (541) 997-3128 or e-mail florence@oregonfast.net.

Saturday-Sunday

Rhododendron Flower Show

The Siuslaw Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society will host a flower show from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 18, at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince Street.  

Throughout the show, local rhododendron growers and experts will be available to discuss varieties and answer questions. The public is encouraged to submit rhododendron and azalea trusses for identification and judging and to view the trusses on display. To be eligible for competition, plants must have been in the owner’s garden for at least six months and must be brought to the Events Center starting at 7 a.m. and no later than 9 a.m. on Saturday, preferably by 8:30 to allow for classification and submission prior to the deadline. Entries should be brought to the Events Center in a water-filled container. Soft drink cans or small glass bottles, about 9.5 ounces, are ideal. The chapter will have acceptable containers available.

The Rhododendron Flower Show also includes a rhododendron and azalea sale, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. This is an opportunity to purchase quality plants at member prices, a press release said.

There is no charge to submit trusses and no admission charge to the show. For more information on the show or how to submit entries, those interested can call the show’s chairman Gene Cockeram at (541) 997-2377 or chapter president Mike Bones at (541) 997-3082.

Tuesday

American Rhodenderon Society

The Siuslaw Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society will offer tips on how to prune and deadhead rhododendrons and azaleas at the May meeting, at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20, at the Presbyterian Church of the Siuslaw, 3996 Highway 101 North, just south of Bi-Mart.

Each year, after the plant has bloomed, it is recommended that you deadhead the plants, snapping off the old flowers at the base of the flower truss. This not only tidies up the rhody but allows the plant’s energy to go back into the plant for the next year. It also helps prevent disease and pest infestations.

As with most garden plants, rhodys should be fertilized to produce the healthiest and strongest plants. Purchase a rhody fertilizer and read the directions. There are various schools of thought on when to fertilize. Some gardeners prefer to fertilize four times a year; others twice, before and after blooming; and others fertilize lightly each month.

For more information on the planting and caring of these plants that grow abundantly along the Oregon Coast, those interested can talk with employees at a local nursery or attend the monthly meetings of the society on the third Tuesday of each month. For  more information, those interested can call chapter president Mike Bones at (541) 997-3605 or visit http://www.siuslawars.org.