Tour D: Southern Maryland

Saturday, May 8, 2004

When Bob and Bee Hobbs moved into their home near the Chesapeake Bay in the spring of 1981, there was not a single azalea in their one-third acre of lowland. Now, their woodland garden includes more than 350 azalea plants (mostly evergreen) ranging in size from small to higher than 8 feet. Bob and Bee are not big into pruning so the paths beside the azalea beds are often narrow—there is little lawn to mow. A variety of companion plants further invade the paths. A small pond (surrounded by azaleas) accents the garden. If you like to be truly surrounded by azaleas, this garden is for you. Listen carefully and you may even hear some organ music.

The Garden of Bob and Bea Hobbs:

The Holm’s garden reflects the country setting of their local community. Dave and Eileen Holm split their free time between azalea collection and caring for their riding horses. They have selected cultivars for their garden with a goal of maximizing the blooming season. The resulting collection of Kurume, Glenn Dale, and Satsuki azaleas are set against a backdrop of split rail fences, woodlands, and pasture. The garden has been a “work in progress” for 20 years, with a recent focus on propagating rare an unusual cultivars in cooperation with the National Arboretum.

Annmarie Garden on St. John Creek is a 30-acre public sculpture and botanical garden dedicated in October 1993 after being donated to the people of Calvert County by Francis and Ann Koenig. The entrance to Annmarie Garden is unusual, with its 650-plus piece glazed ceramic gate stanchions. Recently, 7 pieces of sculpture on loan from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC, have been placed throughout the garden, including the bronze sculpture Monumi (1958) by Italian artist Giacomo Manzu.

In Fall 1997, 113 varieties of Glenn Dale azaleas—each individually tagged—were donated to Annmarie Garden and planted by young gardeners. Since then, 514 more azaleas have been added to the collection.

Box lunches will be distributed for dining on benches on the boardwalk in Solomons Island, which features a number of interesting shops. From there, we’ll go to Wake Robin on Kingston (pictured left ) in California, Maryland, the home of Joe Miller and his late wife, Nuran. “We were captivated by the woodland setting and loved playing garden archeology in the unkempt, existing gardens,” Joe noted. The property, with its native trees and wildflowers, fronts 1,000 feet of waterfront on two sides of Kingston Creek.

Original owners planted approximately 115 azaleas, primarily Kurumes, Glenn Dales, Gables, and some Southern Indicums. There were a few mid- and late-season plants, notably ‘Macrantha Double.’ “All planting records have been lost; therefore, I am still trying to map beds and identify the older plants,” Joe said. “I am attempting to retain the original garden form while expanding as time permits. Herbs, daffodils, lavender, and some perennials compliment the evergreen azaleas. You will find a few deciduous and species azaleas as well as rhododendrons added to the collection. My latest interest is an attempt to propagate and add an interesting, broader collection of azalea cultivars, with the goal of extending the blooming season. There are approximately 150 azalea cultivars.”

Views of Wake Robin on Kingston:

Our final stop for the day will be Switzer’s Garden (pictured right) in Port Republic, home of George and Sue Switzer, founding members of the Ben Morrison Chapter. Their 16-acres include 3 acres of azaleas, which have contained as many as 1,000 varieties and 20,000 plants, including about 200 cultivars (see the September 1992 issue of THE AZALEAN for the Switzers description of their property). At the 1992 ASA convention, the Switzers introduced a new azalea variety they had registered, ‘Nannie Angell,’ which has petals similar to ‘Koromo Shikibu’ but are white. The Switzers’ interests also include the “Sweet Pea” azaleas, the Beltsvilles, and the Beltsville Dwarfs. Sue and George have each served as President of the Ben Morrison Chapter and George was a member of the ASA Board of Directors.

NOTE: You must choose between Tour C and Tour D for Saturday, May 8, 2004.

The Alternative Saturday Tour:

Tour C: Annapolis