Recipe for a Gorgeous Encore Azalea Container Garden

Dwarf Encores make excellent container plants, and one option is to create a gorgeous mini-garden contained within a single large pot. Fill the pot with a good potting mix recommended for azaleas, and choose a location that receives at least 4 to 6 hours of full sun daily. Also be sure water is readily available so that you can easily care for your plants. For your Encore® Azalea garden, select a dwarf Encore whose flowers will complement your pot. This will be the centerpiece of your arrangement. Add a plant to drape over the edge of the pot. Then tuck in mounding plants around the edges of your azalea. Add a vertical decorative element in the back, such as the small bottle tree shown here, for a dramatic (but no-maintenance!) note. The plants shown in this arrangement include bicolor Autumn Chiffon™ and Purple Pixie® Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum, which cascades beautifully over the side. These can remain in your pot through the year. A vibrant pink aster, flowering kale, and violas can be replaced with other filler type plants as the seasons change. There are many kinds of iron accents and other decorative features you can add to your container garden; but if you use a bottle tree, the little bottles can be changed to suit the season or holiday. Think Christmas ornaments! Another option for a container garden is to choose several coordinating pots of various sizes, shapes and colors. Plant a dwarf Encore Azalea in the largest pot, and then put your complementary plants in the smaller ones.