Scroll down for details of upcoming SRS activities and a summery of recent past events…
Online Seminar
New to the Scottish Rhododendron Society this Winter!
Join us in January 2026 for a series of online evening talks…
A fantastic opportunity to listen to those who work with rhododendrons on a daily basis. Our line up of keynote speakers include rhododendron experts from across the UK, all willing to share their experiences and knowledge. Get a chance to take part in Q&A. All at 7pm via zoom
- Wednesday 7th January Mark Brent: Arduaine garden: its history and future development
- Wednesday 14th January Seamus O’ Brien: In the Footsteps of Joseph Dalton Hooker
- Wednesday 21st January Mark Bobin: The gardens of Minterne, Borde Hill and recent expeditions
- Wednesday 28th January Ned Lomax: The history of Bodnant and on-going work
Rhododendron Show & Exhibition, 25th April 2026.
The date and venue has been set for the 2026 Rhododendron Show and Exhibition. The venue will once again be set in Scotland’s Rhododendron heartland at the picturesque town of Garelochhead.
With an influx of new exhibitors at the 2025 show, next year is sure to be fierce in competition and have a display of high calibre exhibits. This event is a must for any Rhododendron enthusiast and keen gardeners looking for inspiration and a chance to meet like minded people.
Full details of exhibition-day timetable, show schedule and other useful information will be available in a link on this page later in the year. This new show page will also have insider tips from one of our judges on how to help your exhibit stand out so keep a look out.
Spring Gardens Tour 2026, Fri 8th May – Mon 11th May
Plans are now in place for a Tour of Derbyshire Gardens including a visit to the spectacular rhododendron collection at Dunge Valley Gardens. Details coming very soon!
Below: A small selection of Rhododendrons at Dunge Valley Gardens. Pictures by David Ketley
Past Events
SRS/RSCG Joint Autumn Conference
Benmore 11th Oct 2025 – Glenbranter 12th Oct
The conference begins with a focus on rhododendron identification. The first two speakers gave an introduction to classification and also shared their knowledge on how to find the subsection, or even better, the name of a rhododendron species.
John Roy shows the distribution of species in the wild. R. barbatum, R. argipeplum and R. erosum spread from west to east. Matt Heasman explains the differences in flowers, leaves and other key markers.
Tim Keyworth then gives a talk updating us on the special rhododendron collections at some of the NTS gardens. Brodick has a very special R. magnificum originally collected by Frank Kingdon Ward. We then hear about the problems faced with maintaining the collections such as invasive species, plant diseases and erosion. Pathways at Crarae have been lost due to heavy erosion.
Before heading out for a guide tour round Benmore gardens, we are given demonstrations on how to propagate rhododendrons. Katrina Clow showed us how anyone can grow rhododendron from seed using a simple punnet on a windowsill and seed from the SRS seed exchange. John Nichols from Brodick showed us how they are preserving rhododendron species using an air-layering technique. Air-layering can have a very high success rate but does require a lot of patience.
Glenbranter
On Sunday we met up for a visit to the managed landscape of Glenbranter. With a mix of original plantings and more recent introductions, Glenbranter offers as naturalistic a setting as one can expect to find anywhere. The sheltered gully and high rainfall is the perfect environment for a collection of large leafed rhododendron species.
SRS members will be able to read more details of this event in ‘The World of the Rhododendron’.
Tayside Gardens Tour summery
2nd-4th May 2025
Day 1
The weekend tour starts off with a Friday afternoon tour round Braco Castle Gardens. Jodi Simpson was kind enough to share his knowledge while guiding us round the gardens. The woodlands, terraces, pond area and house surrounds hold an extensive range of rhododendrons and other hardy plants. The sunny weather enticed many of us to stay behind after the tour to soak in the atmosphere.
Day 2
The second day begins with a visit to the treasure trove that is Branklyn Gardens NTS. This compact garden is an outstanding setting which is an absolute must for any plant enthusiast. The famous rock garden is packed full of gems and the woodland area has many Rhododendrons in full flower. Plants are all well labelled and the grounds very well maintained by a dedicated team.
After mid-day refreshments, we then met up for a look round Dundee Botanic Gardens. A large arboretum provides a sanctuary to a wide range of trees and shrubs from around the world. The collection includes a well labelled rhododendron area. The well tended greenhouses with two different climatic zones are also a great asset to the gardens.
Day 3
A visit to Glendoick on Sunday morning concludes the Tayside gardens tour. Ken Cox, world famous plant explorer and nurseryman guided us around the vast hillside garden. Glendoick is full of rhododendron species collected by the family over generations and hybrids continue to be developed in the nursery. We were all given the opportunity to learn something new and pick up useful tips (and pick up a few new plants).
This tour was organised by Willie Campbell.
SRS members can find out more about the garden visits in ‘The World of the Rhododendron’ 2025 Autumn Review No-93
SRS/RSCG Joint Autumn Conference
Edinburgh Oct 5th 2024
Botanical exploration isn’t consigned to the history books and is in fact more relevant than ever. With more and more plants coming under threat, an understanding of how they grow and interact within their natural habitats plays an important role in knowing how to best conserve them.
Find out more about today’s botanical travellers at our Autumn Conference joint with the Rhododendron Species Conservation Group (RSCG). Maybe you, like our speakers, will feel inspired to follow in the footsteps of some of our greatest plant explorers such as George Forrest and Frank Kingdon-Ward.
‘Modern-day Botanical Travellers’
Venue: Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Conference Room.
Members of SRS and RSCG all Welcome.
Start time: 9:30am
A small selection of images from presentations
Speakers :
- Richard Moore – on his trip to NE Nepal.
- Colin Jones – about his botanical trip to Yunnan.
- Jeanie Jones – shares her knowledge about Primulas from across the Himalaya and Turkey.
- Grant Moir – talks about seeing plants in the wilds of NW Yunnan.