Few flowering shrubs are as compelling as an azalea or a rhododendron lighting up a shady spot in full glory. Vibrant blooms in tropical tones that belie their rugged cold-hardiness cover the plants over a long period when most other flowers are still a distant dream away.
If you have the right conditions, it's worth making a spot for these spring stunners in your garden. Generally speaking, azaleas loose their leaves in fall while rhododendrons hang onto them over winter, but the two plants have similar requirements:
1. A spot with morning sunlight and afternoon shade, or dappled sunlight all day.
2. Protection from northern winds
3. Regular water, (especially during summer,) but never standing water
4. Fertile, well-drained, acidic soil (see below.)
5. A thick mulch of wood chips or pine needles year round.
6. A location that is free of deer, or which deer are excluded from
They also don't do well around black walnut trees, so if you have any black walnuts in or near your landscape, make sure to plant your azalea/rhododendron as far away as you can.
On the other hand, they're natural companions for pine trees, taking advantage of the natural acidification and deep mulch layer beneath pines.
Most of us won't have acidic soil to begin with, so invest in a soil acidifier when you plant (the kind used to change the color of hydrangeas is fine,) and mix it into the planting area well. You can also mix in some peat moss. Once a year, either in very early spring or after your shrub has finished blooming, feed it with an acidifying organic/slow release fertilizer, such as Holly Tone. Regular water and fertile, acidic, well-drained soil is the key component that most would-be rhododendron growers are missing when they get disappointing results.
Tip: If you're looking for an easy introduction to the world of Azaleas and Rhododendrons, try the PJM Rhododendron (pictured below.) It's extremely rugged, and more forgiving than most.
An update to our Covid-19 policy
Per the most recent CDC and Illinois Department of Public Health recommendations, both guests and employees at Hoerr Nursery who have been fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear masks. We're looking forward to seeing your smiling faces again!
Memorial Day Hours
The Garden Center will be open limited hours on Memorial Day, 9am-3pm.
We will continue to be open on Sundays from 11am-5pm into the month of June.
Don't miss these May flowers!
Add a touch of elegance to your landscape with roses! Each May we receive a special shipment of all kinds of roses- shrub roses, carpet roses, climbing roses, David Austin Roses, and more. Stop in this week and have a look at our selection. They'll be gone before you know it!
Tune In to The Green Thumb Garden Show!
The Green Thumb Gardening Show is back on 1470 WMBD, at 7am on Saturday mornings! Tune in to hear Ethan Wise and Dan Diorio talk gardening for Central Illinois.
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