History of the SRS

Plant Exploration

The ‘Scottish Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society’ (as it was then known) was formed in 1983 during the early years of an era referred to as the “2nd Golden age of plant exploration”.

Botanically rich areas of the world including remote regions of China, Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet were becoming more accessible, creating a surge in plant exploration. Of particular note was the ‘1981 Sino British Expedition to Cangshang (SBEC)’ in Yunnan.

This was to be the first British led expedition to China since the cultural revolution and involved many years of negotiation to gain permission. The expedition was a collaboration between Chinese botanists from the Kunming institute of botany and a selection of distinguished British botanists with various fields of speciality. Led by Bob Mitchell, the team was mostly from Scotland and included rhododendron experts Peter Cox, David Chamberlain and Peter Hutchinson who was also a tree & shrub expert. The renowned botanist Roy Lancaster was also present. This group of five botanists flying into Kunming airport turned many heads as no westernerer had been seen in the region since Joseph rock in 1949.

Peter Cox and Peter Hutchinson (The Two Peters) would accompany each other on many more expeditions accumulating a vast collection of new introductions. This led to the creation of Baravalla woodland garden, a sheltered haven on the west coast of Scotland for tender plants which was protected by the gulf stream. Peter’s son, Kenneth Cox; would continue the family tradition heading to Malaysia and Indonesia in 1990 making this the 3rd generation of plant explorers in the family. Euan Cox (Peters father) accompanied the famous Reginald Farrer on an expedition to Burma in 1919.

Meanwhile, other members of the SRS were also busy organizing their own expeditions. Alan Clark, although never serving on the SRS committee, was a long-time member and would regularly be on the rhododendron show judging panel. With dozens of plant expeditions under his belt, many gardens across the UK are now home to introductions by this nurseryman/plant hunter extraordinaire.

Botanical exploration was becoming an integral part of the SRS with a high percentage of members inspired to become trekkers and heading out to far flung regions of the world. Some explorers making discoveries and forever having a plant attributed to their name, others gaining a better understanding of botany. Whatever the individual’s reason for traveling, the adventure, change of culture and removal of home comforts would prove to be a life changing experience.

With so many new species of plants and new forms of already well-known species being discovered and introduced, an avenue was needed to help promote and share all this activity and enthusiasm. The SRS played an important role in this.

Publications

Plant exploration is discussed at many SRS conferences and early publications of the SRS are full of such accounts. The publications are an important aspect of the society’s work by giving members the opportunity to communicate. The first newsletter was two pages of A4 typed out by Ed Wright on his ancient typewriter. The SRS A4 newsletter soon expanded into a glossy publication and in 1998 ‘The World of the Rhododendron, yearbook no.1’ was published.

Classification and nomenclature

The genus rhododendron is vast and complex making classification a vexing subject. New plant discoveries gave botanists at RBGE an opportunity to reconsider nomenclature within the rhododendron genus. This subject deserves discussion in another chapter but the changes that were proposed directly affected the survival of the young rhododendron society. The SRS was deeply involved in debates held at RBGE. Twenty seven members of the society, guests and speakers met on 1st March 1986 to discuss the challenging topic. Opinions were divided and debates spilled over into very heated arguments. Familiar rhododendron names were being ‘lumped’ in with others and this was met with a lot of resistance.

With classification being so controversial, difficulties were encountered for show organisers in devising a schedule of classes. A compromise show schedule was drawn up, designed to be acceptable to both sides of the divide.

These fierce disagreements came very close to finishing off the SRS.

Arduaine, The spiritual home of the SRS

If the formation of the Scottish Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society (ARS) can be attributed to any one person, then that person is none other than Ed Wright.

The most prestigious rhododendron show in the day was of that organised by the RHS Rhododendron, Magnolia and Camellia Group (RMCG) based in the South of England. Different flowering times and the logistics of transporting blooms over such a distance while keeping them intact were a couple of factors which came into play but a disagreement between Ed and the show judges was the final straw.

Ed Wright would collect questionable trusses from the benches after the show and stop by RBGE on his way home. There, he would show H.H.Davidian the suspect exhibits and on all occasions Davidian would agree that they were indeed ‘mongrels’. Ed complained to the RHS but got no replies. The 1981 show in London was the last RHS show Ed would enter. Convinced the establishment had ganged up against him, he returned home raging and set his sights towards creating Scotland’s own Rhododendron Society.

Controversy was to follow Ed Wright for his whole life.

An article (“A Spring Symphony” by Kathryn Bradley-Hole) was published in Gardeners World magazine publicising the work of the NTS to restore the gardens back to the design under the Campbell’s ownership. The twenty years’ worth of graft and toil by the Wright brothers was unmentioned. This omission would open up a bitter rift between Ed and the NTS that was never to heal and accusations were thrown around for decades afterwards.

The Inveraray Arms

Ed Wright and Peter Cox were members of the ARS for nearly 30 years and they held discussions with Herb Spady (Director-at-large of the ARS) about forming a Scottish chapter. Finally, an inaugural meeting was held at the Inveraray Arms hotel on 25th August 1983 and thus the ‘Scottish Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society’ was formed.

“Support was immediately forthcoming from all parts of Scotland, amply showing that there had been a real need for something of this kind which would be entirely independent of the R.H.S. in London.” Dr F.S. Mackenna.

By the next summer there were 86 members. Membership continued to grow, in part thanks to the Scottish chapter being the only English-speaking chapter outside North America. Members from Venezuela, South Africa, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, Iceland, Ireland and both sides of the Scottish border were all to join making it a truly international society from the offset.

Original Committee Members: Feb 1984

President	Dr. F. Severne Mackenna
Vice-President	Peter A.Cox
Secretary-Treasurer	E.A.T.Wright
Director	Alan J.B.Anderson
Director	Gordon Bignall
Director	Iain David Haywood

The American Rhododendron Society has no say or influence over decisions made within the Scottish chapter but acts as an umbrella bringing together groups from across the world. In 1997 discussions were had about changing the name “American Rhododendron Society” to something more inclusive. One idea was to drop the word “American” to form “The Rhododendron Society”. Another idea was to be named “The Rhododendron & Azalea Society”. Neither came to fruition.

The Flower Show

The National Rhododendron Show & Exhibition is an integral part of what we do and is considered as the shop window of the SRS.

The first Scottish rhododendron show dates back long before the idea of a Scottish Rhododendron Society was even considered. Rhododendron fanatics and National trust members (including Sir John Stirling Maxwell and Euan Cox) came together and a show was administered by the NTS gardens committee in 1953. The Sir John Stirling Maxwell Trophy was first awarded at this show and is still an award today making it the oldest rhododendron trophy in Scotland. The show ran in conjunction with the Scottish Rock Garden Club till 1960 when the decision was made to run it independently at a time of year more suitable for rhododendron flowers. The NTS gardens committee and Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society jointly administered until 1963 when the arrangement broke down. The reasons are unknown. The show then went back to being part of the SRGC show till the formation of the SRS.

Around this time there was also a separate Spring flower show in Oban that was being revived. This show was deserving of more support, and indeed some SRS officers acted as judges there.

The SRS supported the SRGC show in Glasgow from 1984 till 1987. Then in 1988 the Glasgow Garden Festival was held in conjunction with the show and the number of entries increased greatly. The SRS decided it was once again time to hold an independent show.

The first show completely administered by the SRS was in 1989 at Corran Halls, Oban. Over the years the show has been held in several different places trying to take into account travel distances involved. Shows have been held in Helensburgh, Colinton, Stirling and Ayr with varying degrees of success.

There are fourteen trophies and cups awarded to exhibitors at the show.

The rhododendron world comes to Scotland.

The International Rhododendron Convention 1996 was to propel Scotland onto the global stage. Five years in the planning, the magnitude of hosting such an event should not be under-estimated. The American Rhododendron Society is over fifty years old and this was to be the first time a convention would be held outside North America. The SRS had never organised anything on this scale before and it took military style coordination to pull it off.

Over 600 delegates from across the globe were to descend on the small coastal town of Oban for a whole week of entertainment including garden tours, flower show, conference and banquet. Accommodation, venues, speakers, transport and feeding all needed to be taken into account. How did a small group of volunteers scattered across the vastness of Scotland coordinate such an event?

A team was put in place. Peter Cox: convention chairman, John Hammond: convention manager, Ian Douglas: registration secretary, Hamish Gunn: show organiser assisted by Matt Heasman. An unwitting Rona Binning agreed to organise the catering before realising the enormity of it. “What started out as a good-natured gesture of help, developed like a military campaign”. A banquet and pack-lunches for 600 delegates for eight days and an army of convention helpers needing to be fed, along with delegates and members of the public needing teas coffees and refreshments at all hours of the day. The Regent Hotel, Oban, dedicated one of its kitchens for the whole week of the conference towards producing sandwiches. The manager

and staff of Mactavish’s kitchens spent the whole evening and night prior to the banquet setting the scene in the Corran Hall. Linen table cloths and napkins created a colour scheme of white and rose pink. Each table was decorated with fresh flowers, silver tableware, sparkling glasses and lighted candles. In addition, the top table was swathed in garlands of greenery and flowers.

Coran Halls in Oban was the main venue and the rhododendron show was the principle event of the first day. “It is therefore most desirable that it should reach the highest standards of both quality and quantity of exhibits” Hamish Gunn.

Garden visits were spread far and wide with 42 tours organised as far North as Inverewe and across to the islands of Arran and Gigha. Tours also crossed country to Pitmedden and Crathes as well as many visits to all the Argyll favourites like Benmore, Stonefield, Baravalla and Arduaine, to name but a few. Seventeen coaches were hired for five days and a Caledonian-MacBrayne ferry chartered specifically for the Brodick tour on Arran.

Scotland ’96 One Yank’s view.

Many other compliments rolled in and the event was deemed a resounding success.

Results of SRS Show, Oban 1996

Judges: Warren Berg, Dr David Chamberlain, John Basford and Gordon Wylie

Trophy or Cup Awarded	Winner
Kilarden Trophy	Blackhills
George Sherriff Cup	Glendoick Gardens
Harry Fairbairn Cup	Lochalsh NTS
Dave Stuart Cup	Achamore and Lochalsh NTS
John Hammond Cup	Glendoick
Argyll & Bute Cup	Glenarn
Scottish Rhododendron Society Cup	Alan Clark
Keyline Cup	David Tait
Wild Argyll Cup	Warren Berg

SRS Silver Jubilee

The 25th anniversary was celebrated in 2008 with an international conference held at RBGE. The theme: ‘Celebrating 50 years of modern day Exploration, Conservation and Hybridising’. Delegates from more than 20 countries were in attendance to share their passion and enthusiasm of rhododendrons. The event was a huge success with one of the highlights being the launch of the book “Seeds of Adventure” by the two Peters.

The show was more a display of rhododendrons rather than a competition.

A special bumper edition of ‘The World of the Rhododendron’ was published containing a compendium of papers presented at the conference. It had over over 200 pages!

Awards

Education & Exploration

Along with many other plant societies, the SRS is continually having to adapt to ever changing environments. This led to the formation of the ‘Education & Exploration fund grant’.

In keeping with our tradition of plant exploration, the E&E fund now provides financial assistance to contemporary botanical explorers. Raising money through plant sales we have been able to contribute a grant towards the next generation of aspiring horticulturists. The E&E fund was formally launched in 2022. The first application was received in February 2023 helping fund a botanical trip to Kanchenjunga, Nepal.

Ratification of the Nagoya protocol in 2014 has changed the way plant material can be moved around, and we now enter a new era of plant exploration with a greater emphasis on conservation.

List of office bearers