Orchestrating a springtime concert of color is a snap, especially when you anchor your plantings with the season's virtuoso performer--the azalea. These blooming beauties rate as one of the region's signature plants, an all-time favorite among Southern gardeners.
Undoubtedly, the reason azaleas are so wildly popular is the sheer showstopping power of their flowers. And where one azalea looks good, you can bet that five will look even better. The secret to staging a springtime extravaganza is grouping azaleas that bear blossoms of the same color.
Ideally, the first step in creating swaths of a single color is purchasing shrubs when they are in bloom. Then you know for sure that you're getting plants of the same color. When it's not possible to buy them in flower, select azaleas based on the named selection on their tag. If it turns out that blossom hues don't match their tags, you can dig up the plants and move them.
If that task sounds daunting, don't waste a moment worrying. We offer advice to help get you started. After some digging and rearranging, you can compose a harmonious planting that sings of spring.
If you purchase an older home, the yard may be filled with a variety of azaleas, creating an unattractive polka-dot effect.
For more impact, relocate the plants for a solid-color sweep of blooms. You can solve two problems at once by massing them under large, mature trees, where it's difficult to grow grass.
Always get help when moving larger plants, as they can be heavy and cumbersome. With help, larger root balls can be dug, which will increase the chance your transplanted shrubs--and your back--will survive. One good thing about moving these shallow-rooted plants is that, even with large azaleas, you won't have to dig too deeply.
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