Have you ever gone for a walk and come to the realisation that you are walking while under the influence?
That is what we experienced yesterday while walking in Great Windsor Park through the beautiful blooms of Azalea and Rhododendron.
Just before you start tutting or shaking your head in disbelief
I can assure you that everyone who was walking, running, cycling, skating, or being pushed or pulled in some form of a wheeled chariot …. was doing it while under the influence..
It is also not a cause for alarm, nor was it a case of what is described as “Rimé et al” a social sharing of emotions.
Although thinking about it in another sense, it was a sharing of emotions
People had, whether they were aware of it or not while passing through certain sections of the park, become totally intoxicated with the perfumes emanating from the flowering shrub’s, the Azaleas and Rhododendron (the ‘Rose Tree’), the Chestnut trees, Lilac’s, Mock Orange, Honeysuckle, Cut Grass, Forget-me-nots and the last of the Bluebells…
We were all experiencing a walk through one of ‘Nature’s Natural Perfumeries’.
The only sounds that you could pick up wafting on the fragrant air was the sound of birdsong, the buzzing of Bees, lake water lapping or the occasional child’s laugh.
It was one of those magical Spring days, when Life and nature is intoxicating..
PAIRFUM London’s suggestion is that, wherever you live, in a Town, the Country, by the Sea, …
Put on your shoes, go somewhere and walk (or run) while under the Influence …
If you do stumble across an azalea shrub whilst in spring bloom, you will forever struggle to find anything as beautiful. What makes azalea shrubs so special is that they are like honey as you will always find one that will work for you as there are so many colours to choose from. Furthermore, you can add these colours to your own environment because azaleas can fortunately be easily grown in nearly any garden.
How to care and grow Azaleas and Rhododendron
However, as simple as it may be, if you do choose to add some azalea shrubs to your landscape, there are some things that need to be taken in to consideration to maximise their flowers and fragrance.
Azalea Care
It is crucial that you choose to care for your azaleas professionally and you find a suitable location to plant them to be sure your azaleas keep looking healthy.
If you are fortunate to have a large garden or even a wooded areas then planting lots of azalea shrubs would work well. But in most cases, to show off your azaleas’ true beauty, they are best planted alone.
Azalea shrubs are completely encompassed by flowers, therefore they can look phenomenal against a back drop of pines or other conifers. It will reduce the heavy impact of azaleas while still showing off their vibrant colours.
Unfortunately, when it comes to sunlight azaleas have particular requirements. Too much shade will deprive them of oxygen which will lead to a poor blooming.
The perfect soil for azaleas
Azalea plants need an acidic soil that is well-drained as their roots are quite shallow. If your soil isn’t well-drained, we recommend you place your azaleas in raised beds or even containers.
It would also be ideal to amend the soil with compost before planting the azaleas. If you happen to know if your soil has low levels of nitrogen then you may want look at using fertilizer to stop any nutritional deficiency.
To check if azaleas are nutritionally deficient if you be looking for an early leaf drop, and stunted growth of leaves and the azalea shrub.
Pruning Azalea & Rhododenron
Whether you want to encourage a bushier growth or you wish to keep your azaleas’ compact appearance, you want to wait until after the blooming season is over before you prune them.
Reinvigorate overgrown plants by cutting back & trimming the branches of the azalea shrubs.
You can be sure to have beautiful blooms in abundance for many springs in the years to come if you keep your azaleas healthy during the growing season.
