It had been severely browsed by deer, forcing me to dig it up and keep it in a bucket until I could find a new home for it.
Unfortunately, the garden suffered another setback when the Golden Dwarf Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Lutea'), which I also planted last May, did not survive the winter.
By spring, it was approximately 95% dead, most likely due to winter cold or insufficient moisture. It was disappointing, as I had hoped it would become a beautiful addition to the garden.
Its untimely demise left a significant empty space in the bed along the back of the garage—the Guanyin Bed. The azalea fits this location perfectly, but I have growing concerns about the bed as a whole.
The nearby Crimson Pygmy Barberry (Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea 'Crimson Pygmy') and Summer Crush Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmacfive') are not receiving enough sunlight to perform their best. As a result, I plan to redesign the entire bed next year. I also want to remove the old cedar 4×4 landscape timbers that have bordered the bed for nearly 20 years.
That project will have to wait until next season, so for now the azalea will be relocated to this vacant spot. It has already demonstrated remarkable resilience by recovering from the deer damage. While it was growing in the bucket, it also benefited from a bright, sunny location. Planting it behind the garage may allow it to establish well, although the reduced sunlight could limit flowering next season. Even so, I have no better location available in the garden, so this will be its temporary home.
We'll let it settle in and see how it performs.
