Azalea mollis Demoiselles de Boutiguery Nella

The Chinese Azalea 'Demoiselles de Boutiguery Nella' will surprise and delight you with the originality of its flowering. Slightly larger than average, it is above all the colour of the flowers that catches the eye: a subtle combination of pink and orange giving them a completely original and unusual peachy hue. A recent French creation from a family of plant enthusiasts and nurserymen in Brittany, this Azalea is a real gem that lights up the spring. Unlike Japanese Azaleas, this plant is deciduous and perfectly hardy. Too little known and too little used, Chinese azaleas are very graceful plants with a host of wonderful qualities. They grow in lime-free soil.  A must in the garden or in a large pot on the terrace!

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 result is 'Nella', a superb variety with a compact habit, less than a metre tall and wide. The Demoiselles de Boutiguery range is extremely interesting for its abundance of flowers. Even in the first few years, these shrubs bear numerous flower buds, ensuring a spectacular display in spring. Nella' blooms in the form of clusters of flowers grouped at the ends of the branches, in flamboyant bouquets. Their colour is fascinating: a subtle combination of pink and orange, which can be described as peach or melon depending on the light. The corolla, made up of 5 generous, partially overlapping petals, is around 6 cm in diameter. Protruding orange-yellow stamens rise from the centre, curving deliciously upwards and adding to the beauty of the flowers. Covering most of of foliage, this mass of flowers is a real eye-catcher in the garden in May.

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. At the end of which they can be used to create interesting displays by contrasting them with the purple, golden or grey foliage of other plants.

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 'Nella' will create a sensation in a mixed border, alongside other flowering shrubs. For year-round flowering, plant something like a Hamamelis, Witch Hazel, in the background. A large shrub with graceful winter flowers in yellow, red, orange or purple, depending on the variety chosen, its magical autumn colours will be an additional attraction.  Stachyurus praecox will take over in late winter and early spring with its clusters of small, pendulous yellow flowers. It also takes on beautiful colours in autumn. A beautiful Hydrangea from the huge choice available will give you flowers all summer long, and can even be used to make pretty dried-flower bouquets. Finally, you can end the year in style with the Autumn Camellias (Camelia sasanqua), which has an extensive range of flowers in a wide variety of shapes and colours.