Am I the only one who hates azaleas?

[Anonymous]

You have to get them in subtle pastel shades. The garish reds are foul--but pale pink or lilac--just lovely!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not alone. I despise them. When not in bloom, they are a shapeless, ugly mess. We ripped out a bunch of them when we bought our house.

You have to trim and shape them. I had lovely perfectly rectangular, mature bushes at our last house. I'll get the bushes at my current house in shape in no time.

omg they're not boxwoods…please stop buzz cutting them! You have to selectively prune them to a balanced but natural shape. Shearing them makes them look awful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two years ago for Mother's Day, my boys made me this heart out of azalea petals. Best gift I could have asked for -

sweet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To hate azaleas is to hate life.

Indeed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Azaleas and marigolds are dated.

Fortunately I don't worry about being fashionable in the garden.

[Anonymous]

A whole garden of azaleas might be a little much, but interspersing bushes here and there and varying colors (including some that punch) creates a beautiful landscape.

They do require some maintenance for best effect - including every few years digging them up to replant them higher in well draining compost. And not too much sun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not alone. I despise them. When not in bloom, they are a shapeless, ugly mess. We ripped out a bunch of them when we bought our house.

You have to trim and shape them. I had lovely perfectly rectangular, mature bushes at our last house. I'll get the bushes at my current house in shape in no time.

Seriously? Are you over 65? Whenever I see this look I assume the house must be inhabited by senior citizens.

+1!

35! But I learned lots of gardening techniques from my Grandma.

It is never too late to re-learn -- shaping azaleas is an abomination -- like topping crepe myrtles (aka crepe murder).

[Anonymous]

I like for other people to have them so I can appreciate the pretty blooms in spring and not have to look at their homely foliage up close the rest of the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like for other people to have them so I can appreciate the pretty blooms in spring and not have to look at their homely foliage up close the rest of the year.

Me too! Also, forsythias.

[Anonymous]

They were here when we moved in. Bright pink. I hate pink. But it goes with the character of the neighborhood, so we left them in. I focus my creative energy on the back yard, which is just for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have to get them in subtle pastel shades. The garish reds are foul--but pale pink or lilac--just lovely!

Some of the native azaleas are orange

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHCA4
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHFL

or tending to bright pink

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHCA7

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have to get them in subtle pastel shades. The garish reds are foul--but pale pink or lilac--just lovely!

Some of the native azaleas are orange

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHCA4
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHFL

or tending to bright pink

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHCA7

The deciduous native azaleas are a whole different story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not alone. I despise them. When not in bloom, they are a shapeless, ugly mess. We ripped out a bunch of them when we bought our house.

You have to trim and shape them. I had lovely perfectly rectangular, mature bushes at our last house. I'll get the bushes at my current house in shape in no time.

Seriously? Are you over 65? Whenever I see this look I assume the house must be inhabited by senior citizens.

+1!

35! But I learned lots of gardening techniques from my Grandma.

It is never too late to re-learn -- shaping azaleas is an abomination -- like topping crepe myrtles (aka crepe murder).

+1

[Anonymous]

i HATE azaelas! OP, you are not alone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not alone. I despise them. When not in bloom, they are a shapeless, ugly mess. We ripped out a bunch of them when we bought our house.

You have to trim and shape them. I had lovely perfectly rectangular, mature bushes at our last house. I'll get the bushes at my current house in shape in no time.

Seriously? Are you over 65? Whenever I see this look I assume the house must be inhabited by senior citizens.

+1!

35! But I learned lots of gardening techniques from my Grandma.

It is never too late to re-learn -- shaping azaleas is an abomination -- like topping crepe myrtles (aka crepe murder).

+1

lol. I don't even like azaleas. See post right above^, but I can't imagine shaping one.