Az good as it gets for colour
YOU DON’T NEED ACIDIC SOIL TO GO POTTY ABOUT THESE PLANTS
RECENTLY I was in a garden where mass planting was the order of the day. The soil was acidic and moist and the estate had been filled with rhododendrons and azaleas.
Some of these species have traffic light colours and can look garish when there are acres of them flowering.
But sometimes a spot of brightness in the garden can be like a magical exclamation mark.
In my garden a favourite moment is when my neon pink azaleas come into blossom. Our garden soil isn’t acidic so I planted them in a pot which I filled with ericaceous peat free compost.
I packed three together to form a pool of brilliant pink.
And while their neon colour might be too much for a border, set in a pot on the terrace it makes a startling and dependable explosion of colour every April.
The other advantage of being in a pot, besides being able to control the soil acidity, is that they can be moved into the background when they cease to flower.
So what’s the difference between azaleas and rhododendrons?
Well these days azaleas are classified as the same genus as rhododendrons but older gardeners (including myself ) still tend to use the old moniker. Azaleas are either evergreen or deciduous and often smaller, making them more suitable for containers and smaller gardens.
They have funnel shaped flowers in a variety of dazzling colours including hot pinks, electric orange and psychedelic purples.
Rhododendrons are usually medium to large shrubs, often evergreen with large sometimes leathery leaves and big trusses of bell shaped flowers. That said, whichever you are planting or looking after, both have similar requirements.
Acidic soil with the exception of some specially bred cultivars is essential and ideally moist but well drained soil. If you are growing in pots, you have to make sure they are well watered, particularly in summer when they are forming buds for next year’s flowers. Top dress with bark or leaf mulch to maintain acidity and moisture retention.
I use peat free ericaceous compost for my azaleas but I noticed some die back this year so I’m going to do a full repot once they have finished flowering.
This will involve lifting and shaking off all the old compost, pruning some of the roots back and replenishing with brand new compost. If this is not practical or possible, scrape off a few inches of the old compost and top dress with fresh new compost.
They will do best in dappled shade such as woodland style settings. As they are shallow rooting, take care not too plant too deeply and this also makes them relatively easy to move in the dormant season.
Now’s a good time to plant to add a dash of zingy colour to your plot.
Sometimes a spot of brightness in the garden can be like a magical exclamation mark.