Mother Nature is working her magic at Bloomsbury...working overtime! Over 400 azaleas are showing their colors; pink and white dogwoods are making an amazing display. As our guests come and go, we inquire as to which color is their favorite. We hear: purple, pink, white, red, flame, this color right here in my shirt, orange, soft pink, and cream. We are certain that you can find a color to admire.
Azaleas are perennial members of the Rhododendron genus, commonly grown for their showy, spring blooming flowers. Bloomsbury hosts both evergreen and deciduous Azaleas on the grounds. This very shallow rooted plant prefers some shade and acidic soil. Annual pruning should be completed after the showy spring performance. This woody plant when pruned from the tops and sides only or not pruned will develop long, leggy stems with only surface exposed leaves. The preferred method of pruning is to remove 1/3 of each plant each year. Prune from the inside to the outside and cut 1/3 of the plant back to the parent stem. Thus, on a three year rotation you have full, leafy bushes that show exceptionally well. You can "clone" your favorite Azaleas by rooting the stems you remove while pruning. Set your cuttings in water for three days, then dip each stem in a root-growth enhancer before planting it in a well drained sandy soil.
The best-known azalea reference book is Azaleas, by Fred Galle, published by Timber Press. It covers all aspects of azaleas, and describes around 6000 varieties. There are a large number of other books about azaleas
No comments:
Post a Comment