Planting a rhody

     Illijana and I went garden shopping today and came home with three half-price plants (an orange geum, and two chrysanthemums) from Miller Farms nursery, and from the Singing Trees Nursery a large rhododendron named Karen Triplett, and a large flowering bush called barberry darwinii.  When we got home I put the rhody in the ground.
     I first looked up planting directions for rhodies from the American Rhododendron Society at http://www.rhododendron.org/planting.htm.  Since we have very sandy soil here I followed their directions for sandy soil planting.
     After wheeling the plant up to the chosen planting site, I skimmed off the grass and created a circular hole in which to dig.  After measuring the plant in the hole to be sure the hole was the proper size I dug the hole with a shovel, then took a pitchfork and loosened the soil below.  I spread some fertilizer in the hole (blood meal, bone meal, greensand, alfalfa meal, and chicken manure pellets), put the plant in the hole and filled the hole in with the previously dug soil.  Finally I spread a small amount of acid loving plant fertilizer on top.  The final step to be taken tomorrow is to mulch it with pine needle duff.  Voila, a planted rhody!