Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Encores Bloomed Afterall

From In the Garden


Remember my post 'Encore Azaleas Not so Encore'? It has been a fairly popular post when it comes to Google searches according to Sitemeter. It would seem there are many gardeners who have had issues with Encore azaleas not blooming. I've enjoyed all the comments I received on that post and especially love it when a non-blogger comes on there to share their experiences; which has happened on this post fairly frequently. Well, this follow-up to that post is to say the Encores are not all bad. Both of my 'Autumn Chiffon' Encore azaleas have fully recovered from the strains of winter and are even blooming and putting on good growth. It is heartening to see them grow as though nothing bad happened to them last winter. The real test will be how they fare this winter and how much damage they show come spring.

I also wanted to update you on another post. Remember the hydrangeas I dug up from a fellow gardener and moved to my garden? There were two huge mophead hydrangeas that I 'rescued' via Freecycle. Well, the news is not so good on that front. Only one of the hydrangeas survived the winter and move. That one hydrangea is doing great though it did not bloom this year. I still think it was worth it to spend the few hours digging and pulling and tugging at these two hydrangeas in order to have such a mature hydrangea growing in my garden but I wish they had both made it....

in the garden....

27 comments:

  1. I've NEVER had any luck with a azalea and vowed never to buy one ever again. They are very pretty though. Glad at least one of the hydrangeas made it, my peegee gave me three small ones last year (The ones I transplanted out front) and one of them has 4 large blooms on it. Poor thing is on the ground!

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  2. I love Azaleas! A fifty percent rate is pretty good with plants!!

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  3. Isn't it just amazing, I had a Rhododendron in bloom a few weeks ago :-)

    Enjoy the rest of glorious September.

    Tyra

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  4. Sorry to hear that your azaleas are not reblooming like they are advertised.
    Could be your hydrangea didn't bloom as they bloom on old wood-- moving it perhaps they trimmed it to make it more managable...thereby cutting off the buds. Will keep fingers crossed for next year.

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  5. Azaleas/rhodies are at the edge of their zone here--some people do OK with them, but I haven't had past success. I do have one now, which I got from a friend. It hasn't bloomed before, but it set buds and we'll see what happens. A lot of times, cultivars are introduced as being hardy (or repeat blooming) and they're not quite in all zones. Many growers only do plant trials in one location... and assume it will work all over!

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  6. I think when moving hydrangeas I would be tempted to make a few back-up copies (cuttings) just in case. I'm glad to see your azaleas blooming. Maybe after I put my greenhouse together I can plant some azaleas near it.

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  7. Hello tina

    Your pink azaleas are very beautiful. Their leaves are so green and very pretty too!! My mother has the same pink one in her garden. I envy you because they bloom in September again. They rarely bloom so in our country.
    I enjoyed walking with you in the botanical garden in your previous post!! The red flowers are a type of hybiscus as you said!! If you have time, please glance at this site: http://maririn2310.at.webry.info/200708/article_7.html
    They are Hibiscus moscheutos, perhaps!! I've heard they are native to Alabama! Very beautiful!! We have lots of Hibiscus mutabilis which is native to Asia, including Japan.
    Thank you for sharing splendid plant-photos!

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  8. I am pleased your Hydrangea made it. I tend to loose mine during very hot dry weather thats when i need to take care.

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  9. Glad to see your Encores encoring for you this year! I have lots of azaleas planted in our woods and have lost some over the years. The Droughts, late Easter Freeze and maybe blight and then the deer like to eat the blooms. It is a wonder we have any left. I do enjoy them in the spring...

    It was a 50-50 long shot for the hydrangeas to survive and I reckon 50% did survive for you. Not bad odds but I would not take that to Vegas...

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  10. I love azaleas but they do not grow very well in my garden. I do have one that is alive and blooms but it really does not grow much.

    I moved my Oak Leafed Hydrangea this year and it has done well. I moved it just after the ground froze so it all happened before it even what knew what was going on :-)

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  11. Very pretty azaleas. And good to know that your surviving hydrangea is doing well. It's difficult to grow azaleas here and my pink one died after several blooms. I'll be on the lookout for another! Gardeners' hopes tend to be very high!:)

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  12. Azaleas in September ?
    Wow...how cool is that !
    Sorry to hear all your hydrangeas aren't happy. I have 2 lace caps and one will not bloom now for 3 years. Don't get it.

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  13. Your azalea is beautiful. I have them & they are over 6' {need to trim next yr after they bloom} & they are on the East side of my house. I don't have any hydrangea. Need to get one of those.
    Sorry you lost yours.

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  14. Thanks for providing the name for one of my favourite flowers. I used to call them hibiscus, which shows how clueless I am when it comes to gardening. Excellent photo and commentary. Many thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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  15. Azaleas, a foreign plant in my world, but so pretty!
    I once got some Iris from Freecycle, they were kind of ugly, but they were FREE! I hope your plants begin to thrive that you picked up.
    Rosey

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  16. Morning all!

    You sure have to love azaleas that bloom in the fall for sure. Now the hydrangea, it is okay. Well, not much time today-I'm headed to plant and dig and move things into my newest garden-a huge undertaking. More on it later. ttyl

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  17. Hi Tina,

    I have several Encore Amethysts (a couple I've had for 9 years) and I've been very pleased with them. Amethyst is one of the, if not the most cold hardy of the Encores, so if you have space that would be a good one to try. Autumn rebloom is excellent. I've had them bloom into November in past years.

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  18. Ooo – I love your new banner and green palette. Sorry to hear about your lost hydrangea but good to hear the other is thriving under your care.

    On the post below: your daughter looks so happy – I hope she stays safe in Iraq.

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  19. Well I'm glad it finally 'Encored' for you Tina. That's good that you were able to salvage those mature Hydrangea. It's a shame that only one overwintered though. I'm sure it will be a great addition to your garden. :)

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  20. Sweet Bay, I hope mine begin doing well too.

    Sarah, Thanks! I'll send good wishes her way from you.

    Racquel, Yeah for the encore-finally!

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  21. I saw these recently at a nursery, now I wish I would've bought one!
    I bet the one hydrangea will bloom next year, sorry to hear the other one didn't make it.

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  22. That's good news on the azalea front...I miss mine and might have to try them again. gail

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  23. Glad to hear the azaleas have given an encore after all! I just bought a new lilac, "Boomerang" which is supposed to be a repeat bloomer, too. It was blooming when I bought it, so that's a good sign. But you never know how something will do in your own garden, especially when Mother Nature throws some curves at you.

    Even if only one of the recycled hydrangeas survived, that's pretty good, Tina. My Endless Summers really took off this year, but there weren't that many blooms. I'm hoping that means they were putting all their energy into new growth and will bloom more next year.

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  24. With all the chopping,tugging and digging you had to do to get the 2 Hydrangas I think it great that one has lived and I bet it will give you lots of blooms next summer.

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  25. I guess that azalea just had a mind of its own and decided to bloom on its own schedule, not ours. I had that happen when my Christmas cactus bloomed at Easter.

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  26. Hi Tina, good news about the azalea and half good about the hydrangea, but free makes it all good! Don't work too hard in that new bed. :-)
    Frances

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  27. I planted my Encores in spring of 2007. I have been very disappointed.....until one week ago. Boy is it a different story now. Oh my gosh, it was gorgeous!!!! I am so disappointed that I did not get a photograph of it when it was in all of it's splendor. My real complaint with the Encore is the blooms don't fall off, they just hang on and look awful, and it's takes a fairly hard tug to get the bloom to let loose. I made the mistake of planting one on each side of the walkway right at my front door. Been thinking about moving them.

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