FORT BRAGG, Calif. – Each year, the Noyo Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, or ARS, partners with Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens to showcase some of the best rhody specimens on the west coast.

The 40th Annual John Druecker Memorial Rhododendron Show will be held at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens on Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23.

The juried show is the largest in California with more than 700 entries submitted annually filling the big tent with cascades of color and fragrance.

The rhododendron show is free to attend and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to hundreds of individual flower entries, there will be plants, bonsai, photos, floral arrangements, raffle gifts, educational displays and a silent auction. Rhody’s Garden Café will be open both days, serving snacks, lunch, and ice cream.

A large selection of rhododendrons and other plants will be available for purchase in the big tent and at Nursery on the Plaza. Local growers and Noyo Chapter ARS members will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the best plants for your garden.

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens will be open to visitors during the rhododendron show (regular admission rates apply) with memberships to the gardens on sale at a 10-percent discount all weekend long.

The Gardens is home to one of the nation’s largest collections of rhododendrons – many hybridized on the Mendocino Coast – and they will fill the formal gardens and woodlands with riotous color.

The Gardens’ Rhododendron Collection includes over 122 species and 315 taxa. More than 1,000 rhododendrons can be seen blooming throughout the Gardens from early spring until June.

All rhody growers are welcome to enter their best trusses for judging. Those wishing to participate should bring their entries to the Gardens on Thursday, April 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. or Friday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Chapter members will be available to assist in filling out entry forms. Judges will award ribbons and trophies to top entries in a wide range of categories.

Please visit www.gardenbythesa.org for details on the event or www.noyochapterars.com for more information on entry rules and procedures.