Transplanting a Northern Lights Azalea

There are gardeners who meticulously plan the location of each plant for a succession of blooms and grouping of colors. Then there are gardeners like me that wander around with a a tray of plants and try to read the landscape for location. My lack of planning has led to much needless labor. It is a trivial task to move a perennial flower, but what do you do with a ten year old shrub that is seven feet tall?

About 25 years ago I successfully transplanted a fairly large apple tree. It was exhausting. I had to free the roots that had wrapped themselves around every rock that the ice age had brought to New Hampshire. I accomplished that task while the tree was still dormant,  after soaking the root ball in water to extricate it. Standing in  a cold puddle, I vowed to never do it again.

But I loved this Azalea. The flowers are florescent and come  early in the spring just as the leaves begin to emerge. So even though I am now in my seventies I got a pry bar, and a shovel an set to work.

It helped a bit that the plant was located on a hill. I could dig under it and pull it down the slope with the help of gravity.

I was pleased that I could keep the root ball intact, but it was too heavy to lift, so I dragged it to a suitable location. I would wait a while before  I planted it, not fully convinced that this would be the right place. To protect the roots I wrapped them in a blanket and watered it daily.

The weather remained cool for some time allowing the shrub to remain dormant until the middle of May. The flowers emerge before the leaves which adds to the drama of the display. It is located just outside our kitchen window and I'm watching gold finches and other birds use it to perch as they await their turn at the feeder. A chipmunk is also happy about its appearance.

I won't be fully comfortable with the transplantation until next year, but it seems to off to a good start.