My Azaleas are Blooming

May 16, 2020

I love azaleas. Of all the shrubs that flower in spring, azaleas provide some of the most brilliant displays.

Azaleas can thrive in a wide variety of growing conditions, which makes them useful in so many different landscapes. They are popularly referred to as the “royalty of the garden” - long adored for their brightly colored flowers and evergreen foliage. Plant enthusiasts have selectively bred azaleas for years, producing thousands of cultivars. I have many azaleas planted together in a garden just outside my Summer House, and when they bloom this time of year, they make one corner of my farm erupt with glorious color. Recently, we planted dozens more around the same area - lots of pink varieties that will grow to about 10 feet tall or more. I purchased them from three separate nurseries including Hardscrabble Farms in Westchester County, New York, Oliver Nurseries & Design Associates in Fairfield, Connecticut, and Summer Hill Nursery in Madison, Connecticut.

Enjoy these photos of my cheerful azalea garden, which is blooming spectacularly right now.

: My large azalea collection is located outside my Summer House in a lightly wooded area where they get lots of filtered sunlight throughout the day. This week, they are erupting with swaths of beautiful color.

: Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the Ericaceae family, which includes blueberries and mountain laurel. They are also all rhododendrons and members of the genus Rhododendron.

: Azaleas are generally healthy, easy to grow plants. Some azaleas bloom as early as March, but most bloom in April and May with blossoms lasting several weeks.

: Here they are flowering among the tree peonies across from my Summer House. The large mounds of bold pink look so gorgeous surrounded by all the green foliage. Azaleas are native to several continents including Asia, Europe, and North America. These plants can live for many years, and they continue to grow their entire lives.

: The tube-shaped base of the flower contains a stamen that protrudes from the center. The leaves are often evergreen with wooly undersides.

: Azalea petal shapes vary greatly. They range from narrow to triangular to overlapping rounded petals. They can also be flat, wavy, or ruffled.

: Azalea flowers can be single, hose-in-hose, double, or double hose-in-hose, depending on the number of petals. These bold pink azalea blossoms are hose-in-hose and contain 10-petals each.

: This bloom has five petals.

: Many azaleas have two to three-inch flowers and range in a variety of colors from pink to white to purple, red, orange, and yellow.

: The length of azalea leaves ranges from as little as a quarter-inch to more than six inches. Leaves of most azaleas are solid green, with a roughly long football-shape.

: Plant height ranges from about three to six feet for most varieties, but rare plants can range from under one foot to well over 15-feet tall.

: The best time to shop for azaleas is when they are in bloom so you can see their flower colors and forms.

: Buy plants that are sturdy, well-branched, and free of insect damage or diseases. And, avoid plants with weak, spindling growth and poor root systems.

: Not long ago, I went to visit the wholesale Summer Hill Nursery in Madison, Connecticut. They specialize in broadleaf evergreens, especially rhododendrons and azaleas, flowering shrubs and trees, Japanese maples, and many rare and unusual varieties of native plants. I am definitely returning soon – look at all the Japanese maples!

: Their inventory was so beautiful – there were plants everywhere.

: Among the many specimens from Summer Hill is this Azalea ‘Marie Hoffman Roseshell.’ This variety has large, tender pink blossoms with a trumpet shape and a heady sweet spice perfume scent. The loosely branched deciduous shrub is native to North America.

: When selecting a location for planting, be sure you know the mature size of the plants so they can be grouped accordingly in the landscape – tall plants in the background and short plants in the foreground. I planted more than 50 azaleas in this large space also outside my Summer House beneath my yellow and cream magnolias. Other cultivars in this garden from Summer Hill Nursery as well as Hardscrabble Farms and Oliver Nurseries include ‘Parade,’ ‘Pink Korean,’ ‘Best Pink,’ ‘Dwarf Pink,’ ‘Pink N Sweet,’ ‘Deep Pink Pinxterbloom,’ ‘Jane Abbott,’ ‘Bright Pink Manchurian,’ ‘Lollipop,’ ‘A Heavenly Thing,’ ‘Pink Mist,’ and ‘Bob’s Bayou Beauty.’

: Azaleas thrive in moist, well-drained soils high in organic matter. Morning sun and afternoon shade are ideal. They benefit greatly from a few inches of acidic mulch applied around the base to protect the roots and help conserve moisture.

: Some of the other varieties came from nearby Hardscrabble, one of my favorite neighborhood sources, and Oliver Nurseries – a 50-year-old establishment carrying a host of uncommon trees, shrubs, perennials, alpines, and rock garden specimens.

: I also have several azaleas in my Japanese Maple Woodland. This one is already about five-feet tall. Another collection of orange azaleas surrounds my pond, though they bloom a bit later in the season. Keep azaleas where they can be protected from midday and winter sun to prevent leaves from drying out and burning.

: And never eat azaleas. Like its cousin the rhododendron, the azalea is a toxic plant, and all parts of the plant are poisonous, including the honey from the flowers.

: Azaleas have short root systems, so they can easily be transplanted in early spring or early fall. Be careful not to plant too deep and water thoroughly after transplanting.

: Once the plants establish their roots, scatter a handful of slow-release organic fertilizer near each plant once in the spring and again in autumn.

: Although azaleas are resistant to many pests and diseases, they are susceptible to some problems, including bark scale, petal blight, powdery mildew, and a leaf disease called azalea gall. I am fortunate that all my azaleas have always remained healthy and beautiful.