Azalea mollis Demoiselles de Boutiguery Idylla

Chinese Azalea Demoiselles de Boutiguery Idylla is a variety that will delight fans of spectacular blooms. When spring arrives, this small bush is covered in clusters of orange flowers with yellow nuances, making it a real eye-catcher in the garden. Not very big,  it is also easy to grow in containers. Unlike Japanese Azaleas, this Azalea is deciduous and perfectly hardy. Even young plants bloom prolifically, so you enjoy its beauty without waiting for years. A superb plant, to 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.

The 'Idylla' Azalea is one of their recent creations, remarkable for the intensity of its flowers. In spring, the shrub is covered in deep red flower buds, which open into magnificent orange flowers in May. The corolla, consisting of 5 petals with wavy edges that partially overlap, are about 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter. The flowers are a cheerful mixture of varying shades of bright orange, with orange-yellow in the central part of the petals, giving the corollas a dynamic, flamboyant appearance. Protruding orangey-yellow stamens curve upwards from the centre, adding to the beauty of the flowers. Extremely floriferous, like all the Demoiselles de Boutiguery range, this variety flowers from an early age.

Its compact habit further enhances the visual effect of the flowers. This Azalea is less than a metre in height and width.
Its deciduous foliage is made up of simple, oval-lanceolate, smooth-edged leaves arranged alternately on the branches. They vary in length from 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 in). Their beautiful, 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 'Idylla' will be a real eye-catcher in the garden in spring. In small gardens, it can be planted on its own, but it is more interesting in a border, in combination with other plants to frame its flowers. Corylopsis spicata, a shrub with bright yellow, pleasantly-scented flowers from March-April, will set the scene, and will also have some beautiful autumn colours. In the summer, there's nothing like the Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle, whose ball-shaped flowerheads have a green tinge when they first appear and become immaculately white throughout the summer and into September. Finally, the autumn Camellias (Camellia sasanqua) will bring the season to a close and provide winter blooms by playing with the different varieties, each more beautiful than the last. Single or double flowers, white, pink, red, bicoloured... the range is enormous!