Azalea mollis Demoiselles de Boutiguery Callista

The Chinese Azalea 'Demoiselles de Boutiguery Callista' undoubtedly has some of the most beautiful spring flowers. In May, the shrub is covered with clusters of soft pink flowers with peach highlights. A French creation from a family of plant enthusiasts and nurserymen in Brittany, this Azalea is very distinctive in the garden and can also be easily grown in containers, thanks to its compact growth. Unlike Japanese Azaleas, this plant is deciduous and very hardy. Even young plants are very floriferous, so you can enjoy its beauty from very early on. It can be grown in full sun or partial shade, in moist, lime-free soil.

Azalea is a horticultural term still commonly used, but in botanical terms, they are actually Rhododendrons, whose flowers have 5 stamens instead of 10. Plants from the Ericaceae family, just like heathers, strawberry trees or blueberries, they mostly prefer lime-free, acid soil and damp climates. The deciduous Chinese Azaleas, have fewer requirements than the evergreen Japanese Azaleas: they are very hardy, tolerate the sun and heat better, and even occasionally dry soil, depending on the hybrids. Nevertheless, they will be at their best in cool climates, with distinct winters, planted in humus-rich, fertile, lime-free soil.

The 'Demoiselles de Boutiguery' series is the work of a Breton family, settled on the Domaine de Boutiguery, whose park was designed by the Bühler brothers, renowned landscape designers  (they are responsible for the layout of the Tête d'Or park in Lyon, the Thabor park in Rennes and the Courson Castle park in Essonne). Christian de la Sablière and his daughter Virginie work there, constantly hybridising Rhododendrons in search of new flower colours.

'Callista' is one of their recent creations, named after the most beautiful of women. There is no doubt that it was inspired by the sumptuous blooms, which exude a certain charm. In May, clusters of flowers with large corollas of about 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter open at the ends of the branches. A pretty soft pink varying in intensity and with darker veins, they consist of 5 star-shaped petals that overlap at the edges. The upper petal has a diffuse peach-coloured blotch, perfectly in harmony with the surrounding shades of pink, which brightens up the flower and gives it depth, just like the stamens that spring from the centre, tracing a graceful curve upwards.

Its compact habit accentuates the abundance of flowers. This Azalea measures less than a metre in height and width. The deciduous foliage is made up of simple, oval-lanceolate, smooth-edged leaves arranged alternately on the branches, ranging from 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 inches) in length. The lovely, bright green colour, is a perfect backdrop for the flowers, which stand out clearly against the foliage.

Azaleas and Rhododendrons have a shallow root system that always needs to be kept moist, but they also dislike waterlogged soil which would suffocate the roots.

This Chinese Azalea 'Callista' will be the focal point of a spring border. You can plant it alongside the Rhododendron lindleyi, a botanical species with large, fragrant white flowers. Kalmia latifolia Elf, a small mountain laurel with cute little white flowers, will also be an ideal companion. It is a good idea to play with the timing of the different blooms to make your border shine throughout the season. By planting different varieties of Camellias, especially Autumn Camellias (C. sasanqua), you can easily complement the flowers of the 'Callista' Azalea. Also consider Witch Hazels, like the Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane', which produces its spidery red flowers from December to February with brilliantly coloured foliage in autumn. In a different style, small Sarcococcas are also excellent winter-flowering shrubs.