A year of growing Azalea — detailed seasonal notes

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 year.

wide range from ground-covering species to large specimens developed steadily through the warmer months. dieback from harsh winters on marginally hardy varieties appeared in summer and required prompt treatment. The plant in a wildlife garden with berrying and nectaring shrubs performed better than I'd expected for the position. Overall: a rewarding year. The investment of attention is paid back generously.