On Thu, 27 Mar 2003 23:10:06 GMT, "L & S"
wrote:

I had been led to believe that azaleas do not do well in Austin. Yesterday
I was at the Zilker Botanical Garden, and they are abloom EVERYWHERE!
Absolutely stunning! Are there special steps that must be taken to ensure
their success - or am I wrong about azaleas and Austin? Thanks for any
advice you can offer. Sarah (who is suffering greatly from azalea envy!)


You were led correctly. However, with a decent budget for removing
Austin's native soil and replacing it with E. Texas or some other
humis-filled, low pH, mixture, a full time staff to prune, water year
'round, and keep the soil from reverting to local type, you too can
have beautiful azealeas in Austin.

Years back, there were absolutely glorious azealas along many of the
older streets in Austin, Enfield Road west of Lamar being a prime
example. 95% of them are gone. The older trees that gave them
shelter from the direct sun were not kept up, not replaced, or chopped
to pieces by the city in the name of progress. Many of the homes were
too large to be kept up and turned into spot-zoned cracker-box
apartments. Azealas need water through the winter. Often more than
we get by rainfall, so they have to be watered. As our water and
wastewater rates have zoomed, it became a burden to be watering year
'round, particularly when it influenced your wastewater rates for the
year.

Take a drive to E. Texas to see them in something closer to a natural
state.