White's Nursery in Germantown, Maryland
Among the most popular spring-blooming shrubs are azaleas - and mine are just starting to flower beautifully.
Azaleas come in an array of rich and vibrant colors including pink, white, orange, yellow, and crimson. I have a large azalea border featuring hundreds of these gorgeous specimens. Many of the plants are from White's Nursery, LLC in Germantown, Maryland. White’s specializes in evergreen, deciduous, and native azaleas as well as rhododendrons. Owners Mike and Debra White grow all their plants and nurture them in their greenhouses. Yesterday, I picked up another large selection of azaleas in shades of orange and yellow for a new project at the farm.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- White’s Nursery is located about 50-miles outside of Baltimore. It is here, on 17-acres of lush, verdant fields where Mike and Debra created a specialized nursery where they breed and grow some of the most beautiful azaleas.
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- They house their plants in two rows of large greenhouses – all closely maintained by Mike and Debra.
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- Inside each one are hundreds of potted azaleas and rhododendrons just beginning to bloom. Debra said it was a cold and long winter, so they’re flowering a little later this year, but everything is doing well.
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- White’s Nursery has more than 350 varieties of evergreen azaleas such as Glenn Dale, Bowie Mill, Satsuki, Robin Hill and many others. In addition, they also carry a wide selection of deciduous and native azaleas such as Calendulaceum, Chop Tank, Great Balls of Fire, Lemon Drop, Red Pepper, and some fragrant varieties.
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- In this greenhouse are 70 orange and yellow azaleas ready for the drive to my farm. Among the varieties in this collection – ‘Admiral Semmes,’ ‘Appalachian Gold,’ ‘Don’s Variegated Austrinum,’ ‘Great Balls of Fire,’ ‘My Mary,’ ‘Red Pepper,’ ‘Sunyside Up,’ ‘Sunrise,’ ‘Sunstruck’ and a number of unknown deciduous varieties.
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- These azaleas are so bold in color and all of them in excellent condition. Azalea petal shapes vary greatly. They range from narrow to triangular to overlapping rounded petals. They can also be flat, wavy or ruffled.
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- All of my azaleas are tagged to make sure there is no confusion.
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- This greenhouse is where Mike breeds his own azaleas from cuttings. Mike is extremely knowledgable and is passionate about creating colorful and hardy varieties – it’s a true labor of love.
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- Once the plants are big enough, they’re moved to one of several cold frames to develop further.
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- Some of the plants blooming right now include this ‘Cotton Candy’ – a broadleaf evergreen shrub with green foliage. In spring, bright pink flowers emerge.
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- ‘Phyliss Korn’ shows off big cream and white flowers.
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- This light colored pink variety is called ‘Rhodo works’ with its dainty blooms featuring light pink on one side and darker pink on the other. The best time to shop for azaleas is when they are in bloom so one can see their flower colors and forms.
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- Azaleas are native to several continents including Asia, Europe, and North America. These plants can live for many years, and they continue to grow their entire lives. This ‘Dream’ has three inch strong pink flowers with wavy-edges.
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- And ‘Marshy Point Stardust’ has dark pink flowers.
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- ‘Marshy Point Irish Eyes’ features white blooms with yellowish light green centers.
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- This is ‘Hardings Pride’ – a beautiful peach pink and white azalea. Azalea flowers can be single, hose-in-hose, double or double hose-in-hose, depending on the number of petals. The tube-shaped base of the flower contains a stamen that protrudes from the center. The leaves are often evergreen with wooly undersides.
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- ‘Quakeress’ is another bicolored beauty with a striking pink and white pattern.
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- And here are two beautiful azaleas in Mike and Debra’s personal garden. These are bold orange and yellow colored shrubs that are about five to six feet tall. Always consider mature size when selecting a planting location. Some azaleas, including native types, can reach towering heights of 20 feet or more. Dwarf azaleas grow two to three feet tall, and many garden azaleas stay four to six feet in height with as wide a spread.
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- They also have this mature ‘Phyliss Korn’ in their garden. Azaleas prefer morning sun and afternoon shade, or filtered light. Hot all-day sun can stress the plants and make them more susceptible to pests.
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- The broadleaf evergreen’s large flowers attract many pollinators.
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- All my plants are loaded up in my large trailer. I also picked up more than 90 white azaleas for my good friend, Stephen Sills. We’ll both be busy in the gardens this weekend! I’ll share more photos as mine are planted. You’re going to love where they’re going – just wait and see.
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