Azalea

I brought Azalea home six months ago with high hopes and almost no knowledge. The first challenge was understanding mulching around the base annually to feed and retain moisture — something I hadn't expected to matter so much. Once I got that right, the whole thing settled down. I grow it in a form…

As a complete beginner I was nervous about starting with Azalea. It turned out to be more forgiving than I expected, as long as I paid attention to deadheading where appropriate to extend the flowering season. I grow mine in a large container for a terrace or courtyard which is working really well.…

I started with one Azalea and now have four, all from propagation. The process is straightforward once you understand pruning at the right time of year for the specific species — something I picked up from trial and error rather than any guide. I display them in a mixed shrub border providing year-…

Here are my notes from twelve months of growing Azalea: Spring: early spring flowering on bare branches before leaves appear. This was the moment that confirmed the whole venture. I focused on pruning at the right time of year for the specific species during this period which set up the rest of the…