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1) the safeguard of the first polyploids (mainly English or American). So I enlisted a few American friends to send me cuttings of almost all of the polyploids that have been tested by the University of Cumbria. I cut them and within a couple of years they will be big enough to be installed in the "Bois d'Amour", a very poetic name of the place. 2) the planting of polyploid hybrids "made in France". For two years I have been giving my polyploid varieties to the town of Josselin. It is a project that was close to my heart and that I was able to achieve thanks to my friend Christian Hays, "polyplante" amateur,who convinced the Mayor of Josselin to plant rhododendrons in this Park located more or less in the very center of this charming city. A municipality is the only one able to manage a project of this type over time. When I talk about the time factor, I think in decades. One can quite imagine that "researchers" or "hybridizers" will come to Josselin in 30 or 40 years for the "genetic bank" that they will find there. The authors of this project, Joseph Seveno (the Mayor of Josselin), Christian Hays and myself will be long dead but we will have the satisfaction of having thought of future generations. I guess Exbury visitors weren't as numerous in the first decade after its inception as they are now. I am sure that it will be the same for Josselin because this Conservatory is an original idea and that the setting of Josselin is unique and lends itself wonderfully to it. The inauguration of the Polyploid Rhododendron Conservatory took place on Saturday May 03, 2014 sous un ciel radieux. under a radiant sky. For two years I gave plants to the municipality of Josselin who had contacted me in order to make this Conservatory. A friend, Christian Hays, had reported to the mayor of Josselin, Joseph Séveno, the scientific advances since 2011 on these rhododendrons.    I was naturally enthralled by this Conservatory project and by the place: le Bois d'Amour in Josselin. |
