A flowering Azalea is a source of endless delight and March is an excellent month to place your Azalea in the garden so that you can enjoy a truly explosive cascade of flowers from May onwards.

Azalea flowers profusely and elegantly in May and June with romantic flowers in white, pink, red or burgundy, but there are also varieties with bi-coloured flowers. This garden plant’s shape is as varied as its colour palette: from a standard shrub to a lollipop tree, and pyramid-shaped plants. Even the shape of the flower can vary, from large and small to double and single flowered. There are Azaleas with bright green or even black leaves.

The Azalea is a hardy plant which prefers a semi-shady spot in the garden, because the soil there is usually a bit damper.

Azalea interesting facts

• The botanical name is derived from the Greek word ‘azeleos’, which means ‘dry’ and refers to the plant’s woody branches.
• In China the Azalea is known as the ‘I’m thinking of home’ shrub.
• The Azalea is the national flower of Nepal.
• In Japan giving someone an Azalea symbolises giving them happiness.

For more information about the Azalea and other garden plants, go to thejoyofplants.co.uk