The CT Rhododendron Society’s first meeting of the fall is scheduled for Tuesday, 9/1/26 at the Bloomfield Community Center (330

Park Avenue, Bloomfield CT).

Social time from 6:30-7 and presentation at 7.

Member Sally Perkins will present “Rhododendrons for Beginners and Enthusiasts.” Sally Perkins holds a B.S. in Botany from the University of Maryland and an M.S. in Cell Biology from the University of Illinois. She began her career as a plant physiologist before transitioning into Physical Therapy, where she worked for 30 years. John’s MS in Math got him a career in Computer Science and data analysis. Now retired, she and her husband John spend their winters in Florida, birding and botanizing, and their summers at their home on Canobie Lake in Salem, NH.

Sally and John have been members of the American Rhododendron Society (ARS) since 1990 and maintain an impressive collection of 800+ plants across their property and neighboring gardens. Their Canobie Lake garden was featured this past July in Salem Life as “An Un-be-leaf-able Rhododendron Oasis.” Despite challenges from rabbits, voles, drought, and shifting climate, they continue to cultivate an extraordinary landscape.

They have played a key role in advancing ploidy research in Rhododendron coordinating flow cytometry labs—work for which they received a joint ARS Gold Medal. Most recently, they collected native deciduous azalea samples for hyperspectral imaging (HSI) research aimed at developing quick, cost effective identification methods.

Native deciduous azaleas remain their greatest passion, and they promise to deliver an engaging and lively presentation.