I received an absolutely gorgeous potted flower this week as a thank you.  It is an Azalea - gorgeous double-blooms in a vibrant shade of pink.  So, are there any Azalea pros out there who can give me some great tips for when I plant this beauty in my flower bed?  Best location?  Will it withstand winters in my zone (6a)?

Thanks!

Here's a link for you. 

Azalea Care

A long, long, long time ago when we were first married, we lived in northern NJ and the azaleas were beautiful there, so I think your zone should be fine.  Rhododenrons and azaleas aren't good for sheep so they aren't something that I've had any experience with myself.

I do know that they like an acid soil but if you do a bit of reading, you'll find all that and location information.  I believe the potted plants are always a somewhat stressed but I think there's a good chance it will be okay.  We bought quite a few miniature roses in bloom at Walmart and still have several that bloom every year.  (For some reason they had a lot of them and we were finding them cheap for awhile.)

(Not to hijack the thread, but I'd chosen an orange rose especially for my MIL because she always liked the Tropicana roses.  I thought DH could plant it near her porch (she was probably in her late 80's then.  DH refused to give it to her!)

Thanks for advice and resources all.  I had a spot in mind near the house, so I'm rethinking that now considering the possibility of roaches - yuck!

As for the mini-roses, I love those!  I have managed to kill at least 6 big rose bushes in the last 4-5 years.  But the minis just thrive for me with little effort.  I plant them near the downspouts to the guttering on the house, so they get plenty of rainwater.  They bloom all summer - one I've had for about 6 years and it spends the summer, right up to frost, covered in blooms - big blooms!  I was surprised when the bloom size changed, but it has as the plant has matured.

Here's a file on care of potted plants from the Missouri Extension Office.  It looks like you need to find out what kind of azalea you have to see if it would be hardy.  Apparently whatever they grow in NJ is something hardy - we got ice storms there!

http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/agguides/hort/g06511.pdf

I am a professional landscaper and have never heard that roaches live in azaleas.  Most azaleas like afternoon shade so if you live in the South, morning sun is good with afternoon shade.  They are acid loving plants and should be fertilized once or twice a growing season with azalea fertilizer.  Azaleas do not overgrow.  Some of the varieties do get quite tall and full, some stay short.  Azaleas should be pruned after the blooms have faded and can be pruned quite short.  They come back fuller and healtier with a better root system and more blooms.  They are prone to get caterpillars, so keep a watch for them and either pick them off by hand or use an insecticide specifically for them and treat accordingly. 

I had azaleas & never had roach problems either; mine were almost all like yours is now; just keep in the pot mindful that it was grown in a greenhouse & as it gradually gets warmer let it go outside to get used to the weather keeping in mind that it is a shade loving one so morning sun does best; then whenever the ground is warm enuf (ours is 5/15 ) to plant garden you can safely put in the ground! Mine were fine & never pruned as they were the smaller kinds anyway but any plant likes to be pruned & trimmed kinda like us going to get our hair done! Good luck with yours! I drink coffee so what I did was simply put some coffee grounds scratching carefully into the ground around the plant being sure not to go to deep as it is acidy & it worked great for me!

Is it possible the roaches were drawn by a mulch or something like that? 

The roaches are a southern coastal thing I think. We've had neighbors that wanted to chop down the palmettos at the end of the driveway because they're supposed to attract roaches too. They are so big here in the Carolinas they get their own name - Palmetto Bugs! And they fly!

Never heard it about azaleas, but I wouldn't let it stop me from planting them. The older homes around here in the country side have 10 feet high azaleas around every tree in their yard. It's absolutely beautiful in the spring. Our are only two-three feet. We ignore them. They bloom. It's wonderful.

Look for the encore brand. They bloom in the spring and fall. Check the big box stores like lowes, home depot and walmart

Never had a roach-flower  problem in the Maryland area. And here, the bugs seem to be drawn to the recycled beer cans DH leaves in the garage. I swear, they sing when they're drunk and they don't run. Make it easier to spray them with the RAID. At least they die happy.