The Azalean  -   Journal of the Azalea Society of America
Volume 2, No. 1     January 1980

THE LINWOOD HARDY AZALEAS

by Frank B. White, Jr.


Hardy Gardenia

The Linwood Hardy azaleas. These exquisitely beautiful evergreen azaleas are the life's work of G. Albert Reid of Linwood, NJ. Very little, much too little, has ever been written about A1 Reid and his Linwoods.

A quiet, retiring, humble and very unassuming man, Al Reid apparently possesses little of this world's material goods. Yet, as one gets to know him you realize that here is a very, very wealthy man.

Now in his advanced years, suffering from chronic emphysema, he broke his back during the winter of 1979. But in May of 1979 when I drove into his yard for a visit there was G. Albert working with a shovel transplanting some of his two-year old Linwoods. Some hours later he showed me what he calls his "ego corner": a walk-in closet lined with frames of awards his Linwoods have received. At one glance I saw more sweepstakes ribbons and blue, red and white ribbons than any one person had ever won in truss shows of the American Rhododendron Society-all won by Linwoods exhibited at various truss shows.

Certainly the Linwoods are among the most outstanding American hybrids yet introduced. What characteristics set them apart? For one thing they all are double or hose-in-hose, vivid and pure in color, flowering early and mid-season. Their size is intermediate. This fact, plus their habit of growth and good green winter color, makes them excellent landscape material. Even young plants quickly develop a rounded, densely-branched form.

Varieties

Bess Hallock, 0-9 semi-double red
Dr. Curtis Alderfer C-24 semi-double red
Dr. Franklin West, 0-5 double salmon
Edward M. Boehm, L-18 hose-in-hose dark pink
Emma Reid, 0-19 double red
Garden State Garnet,0-12 hose-in-hose red
Garden State Glow, E-26 hose-in-hose pink
Garden State Pink, E-30 hose-in-hose pink
Garden State Red, N-3 hose-in-hose red
Garden State Salmon C-36 hose-in-hose salmon
Garden State White, H-11 hose-in-hose white
Hardy Gardenia, L-30 double white
James Dunlop, 0-13 hose-in-hose pink
Janet Rhea, N-4X semi-double variegated
Linwood Blush, E-4 semi-double salmon pink
Linwood Charm, 0-2 double pink
Linwood Lavender, H-1 semi-double lavender pink
Linwood Lilac, E-15 hose-in-hose lavender
Linwood Lustre, H-4 semi-double white
Linwood Pink No. 1, C-28 hose-in-hose pink
Linwood Pink No. 2, K-2 hose-in-hose pink
Linwood Pink Giant, K-11 hose-in-hose pink
Linwood Ruby, 0-7 semi-double red
Linwood Salmon, K-10 hose-in-hose salmon
Linwood White, H-5 double white
Mary Elizabeth, 0-24 hose-in-hose pink
Nellie, C-4 semi-double pink
Opal, L-1 double fall and spring pink
Orchid Beauty, E-52 double, lavender pink
Peach Fuzz, L-34 double salmon
Pink Pincushion, L-8 double light pink
Reid Red, 0-1 hose-in-hose red
Salmon Pincushion, L-4 double light salmon
Slim Jim, L-14 double pink
Tiny, L-28 double dark pink
Victoria Hohman, 0-3 double pink
0-23 hose-in-hose red
0-25 hose-in-hose pink