Garden

[SANNA]

I am very new to gardening and finally live at the place where I can plant some pretty things. We are in 6b zone. The house is facing West, so I have Northern wall( planning Endless summer hydrangeas there) ans a Southern wall - thinking Encore azaleas there. 

Does anyone have experience with them? What is your opinion, advice, tips?

Thanks in advance

[Grade1Teach]

We purchased a newly renovated home in 2016 and the Encore Azaleas were planted in our retaining wall.  I ripped them out and started over by the following summer.

They bloomed beautifully one time and then they bloomed very sporadically for the rest of the summer.  There were only a few flowers on them at a time.  I personally didn't care for them, but you could very well  have a different experience.  There are many other things that you can plant that will bloom prolifically throughout the summer.  I have a lot of Carpet Roses in my retaining wall now. They are incredible and bloom until early November here (Long Island - Zone 7a).

[Still Raining]

So not the gardener, but I do know that deer will eat then down to a stub.  

[JustJazzmom]

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@SANNA wrote:

I am very new to gardening and finally live at the place where I can plant some pretty things. We are in 6b zone. The house is facing West, so I have Northern wall( planning Endless summer hydrangeas there) ans a Southern wall - thinking Encore azaleas there. 

Does anyone have experience with them? What is your opinion, advice, tips?

Thanks in advance

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From this website:https://www.encoreazalea.com/gardening/plant-care/planting-encore-azaleas

• Encore Azaleas perform best in sun to high filtered shade. Four to six hours of sun or filtered shade per day will help guarantee optimal blooms.
• Dry, windy conditions and severe drought can impact performance, but once established, Encore Azaleas are tolerant of more intense stresses.
• Best in USDA Zones 6-9. For zones 5-6, introduce in a sheltered location during spring.

[JustJazzmom]

@SANNA 

For the Northern wall, the azaleas might do better than at the Southern wall area.

Might I suggest for your Southern wall, plants that bloom during the summer and tolerate sun such as glossy abelia, dwarf fothergilla (a shrub that blooms in the spring) with bottlebrush white blooms and in the fall before the leaves fall off turn red, orange and yellow? An early summer blooming shrub is weigela and there are many now that have smaller size (between 4 - 2') instead of 10' like our parents/grandparents had. Plus those tubular blooms are now in pink or reddish shades.

I can suggest daylilies on the Southern area that bloom in the summer (numerous colors and sizes) I recommend the Tetraploid types as their colors are deeper and sharper and they are sturdier than the Diploid ones. On mailorder descriptions you will see a T vs. D in the details.When you look at the photos of the two types, you will see what I mean re: colors.

Southern wall might like peonies which are fall planted and spring blooming (many are fragrant).

For Northern wall I can suggest mountain laurels (many are now 4' maturity instead of 10' like our parents/grandparents had and come in pinks, reds and whites). Rhododendrons are another choice and you can mix in shade loving perennials such as astilbe, hostas, heucheras, tiarellas, dicentra exima (summer blooming bleeding hearts) to keep the show going once the spring blooming plants are done. Low growing ornamental grasses such as Carex morrowii, Hakone grass, or various Sedges can add green interest or variegated interest as well.

One of the last blooming perennials in the late summer into early fall are Tricyrtis hirta a non spreading vs. clumping toad lily. I have 'Togen' in my garden mixed with Hakone grass 'Naomi' and it gives a Zen feel to the area.These are filtered shade loving perennials.

[wildcat fan]

I planted them at my previous home and loved them so much that I planted them here.  I currently have about 60 Encore azalea shrubs in my yard, and I'm still planning to add more.  🤣 Some have just started blooming.  I love having a splash of color throughout the year.  Mine bloom in February, May, July, September, and November.  

The ones that are thriving are the ones that get a balance of sun and shade.  I made the mistake of planting some in mostly shade or mostly sun, but they didn't do well there.  I've found that they like to be planted near a wall, fence, or taller shrub as long as they get some sun, so it sounds like your areas would be perfect.  I have some grouped around crepe myrtles, some grouped around a camelia, some along the sides of the house and next to a fence, and some grouped around ligustrum.  

In late summer I keep an eye on them because mine can attract whiteflies, but after spraying with neem oil extract, they perk right up and look good as new in just a couple of days.  I've read that some people complain about periods when there are few blooms, but I think that may have something to do with pruning.  I prune mine in early spring when they aren't blooming, and some years I didn't prune at all.  Like other azaleas, they bloom on old wood rather than new growth.

What colors are you thinking about?  I have mostly pinks (Autumn Carnation and Autumn Rouge) with some lavender (Autumn Lilac).  I had some white ones (Autumn Angel), but they are the ones that were in mostly shade and didn't make it.  

[SANNA]

I was thinking orange-pink-red-purples. The taller ones at front and back and the dwarfs in the middle. Maybe a rose or two in between. That’s the plan for the Southern wall.
For the Northern I want Endless summer hydrangeas.

[SANNA]

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@wildcat fan wrote:

I planted them at my previous home and loved them so much that I planted them here.  I currently have about 60 Encore azalea shrubs in my yard, and I'm still planning to add more.  🤣 Some have just started blooming.  I love having a splash of color throughout the year.  Mine bloom in February, May, July, September, and November.  

The ones that are thriving are the ones that get a balance of sun and shade.  I made the mistake of planting some in mostly shade or mostly sun, but they didn't do well there.  I've found that they like to be planted near a wall, fence, or taller shrub as long as they get some sun, so it sounds like your areas would be perfect.  I have some grouped around crepe myrtles, some grouped around a camelia, some along the sides of the house and next to a fence, and some grouped around ligustrum.  

In late summer I keep an eye on them because mine can attract whiteflies, but after spraying with neem oil extract, they perk right up and look good as new in just a couple of days.  I've read that some people complain about periods when there are few blooms, but I think that may have something to do with pruning.  I prune mine in early spring when they aren't blooming, and some years I didn't prune at all.  Like other azaleas, they bloom on old wood rather than new growth.

What colors are you thinking about?  I have mostly pinks (Autumn Carnation and Autumn Rouge) with some lavender (Autumn Lilac).  I had some white ones (Autumn Angel), but they are the ones that were in mostly shade and didn't make it.  

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I just looked up again and likes Autumn Monarch, A. Empress,A.Lilac, A.Sangria, A.Sunburst,A.Twist,A.Fire( already have 2). I really love any white ones but when they wilt they really look sad., Maybe will add Royalty.

[SANNA]

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@JustJazzmom wrote:

@SANNA 

For the Northern wall, the azaleas might do better than at the Southern wall area.

Might I suggest for your Southern wall, plants that bloom during the summer and tolerate sun such as glossy abelia, dwarf fothergilla (a shrub that blooms in the spring) with bottlebrush white blooms and in the fall before the leaves fall off turn red, orange and yellow? An early summer blooming shrub is weigela and there are many now that have smaller size (between 4 - 2') instead of 10' like our parents/grandparents had. Plus those tubular blooms are now in pink or reddish shades.

I can suggest daylilies on the Southern area that bloom in the summer (numerous colors and sizes) I recommend the Tetraploid types as their colors are deeper and sharper and they are sturdier than the Diploid ones. On mailorder descriptions you will see a T vs. D in the details.When you look at the photos of the two types, you will see what I mean re: colors.

Southern wall might like peonies which are fall planted and spring blooming (many are fragrant).

For Northern wall I can suggest mountain laurels (many are now 4' maturity instead of 10' like our parents/grandparents had and come in pinks, reds and whites). Rhododendrons are another choice and you can mix in shade loving perennials such as astilbe, hostas, heucheras, tiarellas, dicentra exima (summer blooming bleeding hearts) to keep the show going once the spring blooming plants are done. Low growing ornamental grasses such as Carex morrowii, Hakone grass, or various Sedges can add green interest or variegated interest as well.

One of the last blooming perennials in the late summer into early fall are Tricyrtis hirta a non spreading vs. clumping toad lily. I have 'Togen' in my garden mixed with Hakone grass 'Naomi' and it gives a Zen feel to the area.These are filtered shade loving perennials.

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I have one big rhododendron which I love in the front of my house. 

Lilies I do not like for their heavy fragrance.

Peonies are wonderful but they bloom only 1 week in our area and create a mess.

I think I will stick to hydrangeas along the northern wall, just hydrangeas ( endless summer type, that bloom 3 times a year)

[wildcat fan]

Those will be lovely @SANNA.  😊 I had to look up the Monarch ones.  I love that color!  I've never seen it around here.  

I like your idea of adding roses.  On one side of my house I have pink Encore azaleas with white hybrid tea roses in front of them.  In another area, I've paired them with Knockout roses.  

My next door neighbors have several of those dark blue (almost purple) Endless Summer hydrangeas.  ❤️  I'd love to have some of those too.  I always have to fight the urge to go over and pick some.  😂  If I had as many they do, I'd cut some for a vase, but I never see them out cutting theirs.  He waters them every day and he says he adds something to keep them that color.