Daffodils, tulips, hellebores, and hyacinths serve as ushers of spring but, for me, the true harbinger is azaleas.
My love for azaleas was nurtured, in part, by my love for golf. Mind you I don’t play the game but I’m an avid fan. If golf skills came to me with the same level of passion and intensity as gardening, I would probably be on top of the leaderboard. Move over Tiger, Rory, and Justin.
This brings me back to THE week for our neighbors in Augusta and our state of Georgia as hosts for the first major golf tournament of the year, The Masters, where a stunning variety of azaleas and an umbrella of dogwoods are scattered beneath towering loblolly pines serving as a backdrop to precisely manicured greens. Forget the numbered holes of Augusta National and listen to the names of those lovely but sometimes treacherous sights of heartache for the pros. Carolina Cherry, the Magnolia, Garden Bell, White Dogwood, Camellia, and Yellow Jasmine reflect the dreams of the ultimate landscape, at least for a gardener.
Just watch for those “beauty shots” as they are called, when the TV cameras zoom in on those luscious, colorful varieties of azaleas for some of the most memorable holes in golf and for garden lovers. And then there is the magnificent Amen Corner. As they say about The Masters, “a tradition like no other,” this scene alone is breathtaking.
Mastering azaleas in your own yard
These easy-care shrubs come in so many colors it’s hard to find one that doesn’t suit your needs. Azaleas can be grown in nearly any garden, instantly adding interest and color to drab areas.
To keep azaleas looking healthy, it is essential that you choose an appropriate planting location and practice proper azalea care. Azaleas actually look the most attractive when they are planted alone; however, mass plantings work well in larger areas, such as wooded sites. Since the flower coverage on azaleas encompasses the entire shrub, placing them in a background of conifers, such as pines, or other acid-loving plants will help set off their colors while minimizing their heavy effect. These shrubs should be planted in the spring, preferably in lightly shaded sites. Full sun, especially in southern climates, can actually burn the leaves while heavy shade can deprive them of necessary oxygen, resulting in poor blooming and weaker growth.
Azaleas have shallow roots and require well-drained, acidic soil. In poorly drained areas, azaleas should be placed in raised beds. Azaleas can also make exceptional candidates for containers. It also helps to amend the soil with compost beforehand. To help conserve water, maintain soil temperature, and discourage weeds, mulch these shrubs with pine straw or composted pine barks and replenish them annually. Organic matter added to the soil and an adequate layering of mulch will generally provide azaleas with sufficient nutrients; therefore, frequent fertilizing is often not required. However, if there are low amounts of nitrogen in the soil, applying fertilizer may be necessary in order to prevent a nutrient deficiency.
Another wonderful thing about azaleas, the so-called Royalty of the Garden, there are varieties that will bloom from autumn through spring and they come in a full array of colors.
If the weather is nice, I hope to be on my patio with my Ipad tuned in to Masters coverage. From that vantage point, my own azaleas will be in view and I’ll be writing the next gardening stories to share with all of you. I’ll be inspired.
