Anonymous wrote:We drove past our soon to be new house and saw that the entire front yard is various bushes of different colored azaleas. I hate them. My husband loves them. Am I only an island here?

I loathe them. and rhododendrons too.

Hate hate hate. And they are so prevalent in our area, it’s like the lame DMV khakis and blonde highlights that make this area visually so blah.

Love.
They bring to mind the rambling late 19th C and early 20th century houses that were built with a strength and grace we will never see again. Their reflected light makes a room glow in a different color for 1-2 weeks. They are color on a sturdy bush that can last a century. Not like those silly puff ball hydrangeas!

Anonymous wrote:Who is opening all these threads from 2015??

Azalea. She told us her name.

I live them left in a natural shape. Do not like the sculpted ones.

OP from 2015 has probably moved on to an even newer house by now, 2024.

I have pale pink ones and love them.
What I dislike is magenta or pink or orange ones in front of brick houses where the flowers clash with the brick color. Use white ones or plant them away from the wall of your house!

There are varieties that bloom in every season except winter. I don’t like gardening, so I find azaleas an easy, low maintenance plant that provides a little pop of color.

I also don't like them. Would rather have a honeysuckle bush, because at least they smell nice.

I have a row of white ones looks great

Who is opening all these threads from 2015??

Um you are the only one who hates azalea. My name is azalea so I can't hate them

Yuk, huge root systems and scratch me as I move around the garden.

I'm not a big fan. Period of bloom too short, straggly rest of the year, colors too bright. BUT. I walked by a planting of descidious azaleas in a new house recently and stopped short - they were beautiful. Lovely soft color, bigger individual blooms, and the foliage was much nicer than the kind I have (came with the 1950's house).

I don't like it when there are two many different color varieties going on in one yard.

I think you nailed it on the head. It's when there are too many colors competing that it become unappealing. But they are a wonder. For the transplants out there don't you remember how amazed you were the first time you saw them? These colors exist in nature?!

Anonymous wrote:Azaleas and marigolds are dated.

What's old eventually becomes new again. I have the best memories in my grandmother's garden of lilac, peonies, shasta daisies, hollyhocks, black eyed susans, coneflowers, alliums, petunias, irises. I considered all those old fashioned but I love them all.

I don't hate azaleas. I saw some beautiful white ones today. I don't like it when there are two many different color varieties going on in one yard.