R, I'm sorry that you've had such a struggle. Have you had the opportunity to take classes, attend demonstrations, read some articles, or even join a club?

I participated in rewarding bonsai culture for many years but had a good teacher to get me started.

Hi Rhizo, I do actually have an excellent bonsai instructor, who's actually been the one downsizing all the trees/shrubs for me, but sadly he's more into non-flowering ones, and really isn't into azaleas so much. Neither are any in the local club :(. But it's more just trying to find a right variety to try - I'm fine with the day-to-day care as such. Thanks Romayne :)

Nothing to contribute on the question but I'm just curious as to whether you are an American living in the U.K. or a Brit who has translated their post into American? Just nosey ;-)

LOL - is it just my bad grammar or spelling that makes you think either of those? I'm born abroad but a lifelong UK citizen currently living in Belfast :) I've severe hand arthritis so do tend to abbreviate a lot of words where I can which leaves many equally befuddled :)

Apologies - just wondering if you mean this is a US site - just happened to be Google's response to a search for UK azalea forums.

Nothing to do with grammar! And no intention to criticise. I'm a linguist by training and I'm just nosey that someone posting from the U.K. would sound American. 'Gotten', 'yard' and 'medium' made me wonder. Thought you would write 'got', 'garden' and 'compost' if you were a native. Or did you mean yard as in back yard where we keep the tin bath and the coal bunker ;-) and although most posters are in the US the site is international. I stick around because I enjoy the unfamiliarity of gardening around the world.

Oh no worries - I don't offend easy :). No - nothing more than probably watching too much US TV and some Belfast linguistics perhaps - ironically I'm normally more careful with my English but am on a lot of pain meds too so perhaps have a bit of an excuse,. I don't have an American bone in my body :). Some of it's what I've assumed are better terms e.g. medium (compost, to me, meaning soil) and yes, yard is indeed a back yard 16 feet by 8 and as concrete as they come! I do appreciate your points though as I forget to re-read my posts to try and see whether they could perhaps be misconstrued (sadly does tend to happen quite often!) :)

Please don't worry, I was just curious. I usually say medium rather than compost on this site because that means two things in U.K. English and can confuse Americans. I stick to garden rather than yard, although across the Atlantic garden means what I'd call a bed and yard means what I'd call a garden;-) and I've no way idea what they'd call what you and I call a yard.... All part of the fun. But no help at all with bonsai azaleas, I'm afraid.

LOL Thanks again - really enjoyed the discourse!