Lucky you! :) I got one for Mother's Day last year and planted it out with the others after the blooms died. It's the first one to bloom this year! :)
Christine

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Garden Club website

Florists azaleas won't be hardy outdoors in your zone, these plants are bred for large blooms at a young age, that can be easily controlled to provide flowers on particular holidays/ dates. You can gradually introduce them to the outdoors (much like you would harden off an annual) and keep them on a patio until frost threatens, then bring them back indoors to a cool room over winter...truthfully, my house (heat pump with elec forced air backup) is so dry, I've never kept them pretty indoors for any length of time.

Are florist azaleas hardy in the DC Metro area? My husband gave me one for Easter this year and while it's doing great and had gorgeous blooms, I was thinking of planting it outdoors later on this month. Good idea or bad? I'm on the border between 6 and 7, the state of MD being split right up the middle.

In a Z7, I think I'd try it in the ground after gradually introducing it to the real world/outside conditions :) They can be less than easy houseplants, and it might be just fine outside in your zone as they are here so you have little to lose.

Keep in mind though that these have been on a regime of artifically produced lighting, growth hormones, fertilizers, temps before being offered for sale - not necessarily with regard to long term plant health.

I planted one of thse 5 years ago before it bloomed. It bloomed beautifully and it even put out new growth and continued to flourish throughout the summer but died due to a cold winter. I would never attempt it again since I can't predict what winter brings. I even had a few inches of mulch over the roots just in case but it snowed a few times that year and I even draped a pillowcase over it when it started snowing but it still died.

We have a lovely azalia but in Ottawa there's no way an azalia would survive outdoors. But this one has beautiful red flowers, then it grew new flowers (and leaves) but the flowers were soft and pink, they lasted a week then wilted and died, yet the original red flowers are still fine! What is it lacking?
Keithgreenthumb