"Like the musician, the painter, the poet, and the rest the true lover of flowers is born, not made. And he is born to happiness in this vale of tears, to a certain amount of the purest joy that earth can give her children, joy that is tranquil, innocent, uplifting, unfading"

- Celia Thaxter

About Azalea

Azaleas are very beautiful flowers that would surely make a garden more attractive. Any person deciding to plant azaleas in his/her garden, would take delight in the blast color it provides. In what follows let us know more about this flower.
    First of all Azaleas pertain to the Rhododendron genus. Azaleas can be distinguished from rhododendrons easily. Azaleas have terminal blooms and when it’s blooming you can see a solid mass of color. All the flowers bloom at once thus providing a charming delight to your eyes. Azaleas bloom in spring and grow best in cool, shady positions. It is necessary to water them, but make sure that you keep a balance in it.
You should also bear in mind that azaleas need mulching. The best mulches for azaleas are the acidic ones; pine straw can be a good option.    
    Another important issue concerning azalea care is pruning. It should take place after blooming. It is recommended to start with pruning off the dead or injured branches. If these are not disposed of, they could cause diseases and insect related problems. It is also very much recommended to prune back the tall limbs shooting out of the top. This will enable the creation of a compact and more attractive shape.
(http://landscaping.about.com/cs/treesshrubs/a/rhodo_azaleas_4.htm)
Important issues concerning azaleas include their longevity. Azaleas are plants that if the circumstances allow, and their requirements are met can live hundreds of years. There are known azaleas in Japan and Romania, of hundreds of years old. Yet their outlook do not betray their age. They have a large color range. Azalea’s color include: white, purple, red, and even orange and seldom yellow.
Yet another interesting thing is the foundation pf the Azalea Society in 1979. Its main interest is to promote knowledge of azaleas.
(http://www.azaleas.org/index.pl/faq.html#lon) 
Good Luck with growing azaleas! These beauties may surround your house, making it look like a little paradise.