Azalea japonica ENCORE Sweetheart Roblja

The Encore 'Sweetheart' Hybrid Azalea, has lovely soft mauve-pink flowers that bloom two or three times a year depending on the climate. It belongs to the Encore series, which has transformed the Japanese Azalea into a plant that is almost as decorative as a rose, with successive and spectacular flowerings. This beautiful evergreen bush blooms from late winter or early spring until early autumn, in successive waves. Thriving in the sun or partial shadeand relatively hardy, the hybrid Azaleas from the Encore series are very versatile and come in a variety of styles, with single or double flowers, more or less compact and in a range of colours including white, red, various shades of pink, salmon, and orange vermillion. Mix them together to create either rustic flower beds or more sophisticated displays. Like all Azaleas, 'Sweetheart' prefers non-calcareous soils, moist but well-draining, and fertile enough to sustain its multiple flowerings.

From a botanical point of view, Azaleas are actually Rhododendrons, plants from the large Ericaceae family. The hybrids from the Encore series, distributed by Globe Planter, were created thanks to Buddy Lee, a talented American nurseryman specializing in these plants. These quite fantastic azaleas are the result of a long process of hybridization and selection, with the aim of obtaining varieties capable of flowering several times a year, as well as withstanding the sun.

'Sweetheart' is a beautiful variety of considerable size, with a rather upright and bushy habit, and informal appearance. The bush reaches about 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) in height and 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in spread, growing rather slowly, though slightly faster than the classic Japanese Azaleas. Its particularly abundant first flowering begins in March-April taking the form of single or, more rarely, semi-double, satiny, slightly wavy flowers . They are about 5-6 cm (2-2.4 in) in diameter, and are a soft pink tending towards mauve, fading slightly when fully open. They are funnel-shaped and are gathered in small terminal clusters. A second wave of flowers, slightly less generous, begins at the end of May, when new shoots appear, carrying new flower buds that open in summer. A last flowering occurs in early autumn, usually in October. The foliage of the Japanese Azalea, more or less evergreen depending on the severity of the winter, is composed of small, simple, glossy, elliptical leaves with smooth edges, arranged alternately on the branches. They are a rather light green in spring, darkening in summer, often taking on beautiful bronze or purple shades in cold weather. This variety is hardy down to -12/-15°C (10.4/5 °F). 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.

Japanese azaleas thrive in cool climates with distinct winters, planted in humus-rich and acid soil, such as ericaceous soil. In these conditions, they are very beautiful evergreen shrubs for flower beds or flowering pots, attractive all year round. They harmonise beautifully with heathers, Japanese maples, or their relatives, Chinese Azaleas, which change their colours with the seasons. Combine them with flowering quinces, Japanese camellias, and their graceful, often fragrant, autumn-flowering cousins, the Camellia sasanqua hybrids. This 'Sweetheart' variety will look wonderful in a large, cool, moist rockery or flower bed with Chinese azaleas, perennial geraniums, or paniculate hydrangeas.  It will also make a beautiful suject in a pot to adorn a terrace or balcony, planted in suitable soil and watered with lime-free water.