Azaleas once left me simply spellbound - and they still do

Deciduous Azaleas

Even to this day one of my most vivid garden memories is a visit to Savill garden near Windsor made nearly 30 years ago. It was in the month of May, and I was captivated by the intoxicating sweet scent of the deciduous azaleas, and spellbound by the exquisite combination of Meconopsis (the Blue Himalayan Poppy), Shuttlecock ferns and Primula ‘Millers Crimson’. This garden and the lasting memories with which it left me were later to provide my greatest inspiration in designing the gardens here at Green Island. During my time at college studying Garden Design in the late 1980’s I was repeatedly told that Rhododendrons and Azaleas were not very good plants in design terms as they flower for such a short time in the year. They had been used to the point of overkill at Chelsea and had fallen out of favour with designers. However, now as a teacher myself of garden design I would beg to differ. The best deciduous azaleas provide colourful flowers nearly all of which are beautifully scented, attractive to bees,and the best varieties colour brilliantly in Autumn before losing their leaves.

Deciduous azaleas require an acidic soil and prefer sun but in the shelter of a woodland situation with adequate moisture. There is nothing worse for me than seeing plants struggling in the wrong conditions. For all these reasons deciduous azaleas are not often seen in any great numbers in Essex with its arid climate and heavy clay soils. It saddens me to see struggling specimens in the wrong conditions and I fear for plants leaving my nursery when their purchasers insist that they will plant their azaleas in ericaceous compost or grow them in a pot. Despite their best efforts if the natural conditions are not right the plants will struggle and look sick. Even if the acidity of a soil is altered for example by adding ericaceous compost at the time of planting the roots will eventually grow into the native soil and start to fail. Even if the right conditions are provided artificially the plants will look out of place. For example, tree ferns would not look right in a desert garden and English roses would be out of place in a tropical jungle.

I could only have fantasized that fate should dictate and I would end up living at Green Island, and go on to create the garden of my dreams. When we moved in there were a handful of mature Azalea luteum, (previously called A.pontica), and some other pretty varieties along what we now call the cottage walk. As the garden developed, and was extended into the woodland previously decimated by the 1987 hurricane I was presented with opportunity to indulge my love for these beautiful shrubs and I sought out varieties from specialist nurseries to flower from April through to July. My general rule for Azaleas is that the paler the flower colour the sweeter the scent, and the brighter, more fiery the flower colour the better the autumn colour of the leaves.

My favourite varieties are:

Azalea luteum: the earliest variety to flower as well as being one of the most scented. Blooming in April, it carries huge trusses of warm yellow honeysuckle like flowers which release their scent over the whole “island”. In autumn the leaves take on fiery red and orange hues before falling.

Azalea ‘Homebush’: one of the later varieties to flower. It has distinctive pompom like flower heads of double carmine pink sweetly scented flowers. Also good autumn colour.

Azalea occidentale Delicatissima: a free flowering variety with pale pink flowers flushed deeper pink and orange flare.

Azalea viscosum Sparkler: One of the latest, flowering June-July with dark red buds that open to scented pink ruffles flowers. Greyish green leaves take on reddish purple autumn tints.

Azalea narcissiflora: double pale yellow mid- May flowering with excellent scent.

Azalea Golden Flare: coming into bloom as A. luteum goes past it creates a stunning display of vivid yellow single flowers with a reddish orange blotch.

So, if you haven’t been to Green Island Gardens yet make a date for May 5th/6th when we will be holding our Bluebells Bazaar, in aid of the National Gardens Scheme with local stallholders selling their produce, crafts, refreshments and much more. There are 20 acres of gardens in which to wander, a tearoom serving home- made cakes and snacks and a lovely nursery selling many unusual plants at reasonable prices, all of which can be seen growing in the gardens.

For further information please visit www.greenislandgardens.co.uk

Bluebells and Azaleas in the woodland

For further information visit www.greenislandgardens.co.uk

Deciduous Azaleas growing in an informal setting.