You could ask these nice people: http://www.bovees.com/ Who are the US authorities on vireyas, apparently, However I would also try some Australian gardening forums if you can find them; specifically ones for people in Caires, Darwin and other truely tropical parts. The collusion between Commonwealth culture and tropical climate could well mean they are particularly inclined to growing such plants if they exist; even in mild, oceanic Sydney the vireyas are used as garden subjects so I think, overall, they probably have more expertise with them as a country than anyone in the US. Or even a Florida gardening forum though I suppose it's only Miami and south where conditions are similar to yours. Obviously the various standard southern indicas and southern native Azaleas grow around northern to central Florida but I don't know what their southern limit is. For example, I found this in google: http://www.camelliaglen.com.au/

I am convinced the Northern Lights series are not all they cracked up to be. I site my azaleas carefully and amend the soil yet find that Mandarin Lights, Spicy Lights, Golden Lights, and to a lesser extent, Rosy Lights are less vigorous and bud hardy. Northern Lights, White Lights, and Orchid Lights are much more reliable. I wouldn't even buy a Mandarin, Spicy, or Golden anymore. I still try the Rosy Lights. I think it is likely your buds are dead. They should at least be swelling by now. The shrub is probably OK. Prune the dead wood, fertilize heavily with an acid fertilizer and wait for spring 2006.

Hickories do produce small amounts of juglone and it just might be enough for very sensitive azaleas. However, you can reduce the possibilites of damage by making sure you keep the nuts and leaves raked away. Juglone is carried in all parts of the plant. As far as the roots go, hickories produce a tap root when they are young. As they mature, this tap root is pretty much crowded out in favor of the much more aggressive and widespread fibrous root system, favored by deciduous hardwoods world wide. Even if you have a deep sandy soil where a tap root will be happy to grow, your hickory will still develop a shallow absorbing root system. It is this shallow root system that is responsible for holding the tree in place as well as absorbing water and solutes from the soil. Compete for soil water, minerals, space, etc? You betcha! Is it possible to grow azaleas under a hickory? I'm sure it is, and I would keep trying for another year or so. If your plant continues to have problems, you know why.

Unfortunately Sarah has had to drop out due to some unavoidable problems - she really wanted to come but it just isn't likely to be able to happen :-( I can still get to the mountain by taking the bus up, but I can't take as much up with me that way. Here's a thought if it's going to be just the three of us (Lakshmi, Chi and myself) - I could host a short little tea/lunch/snack thing and we could meet at my place (and my embarrassingly small garden!). I know Chi knows how to find me, and I assume it's as easy for him to get to my place as to the mountain. Lakshmi - If you only have time to zip in and out, it might still be easier for you to come by my place - there is a back alley with very little traffic and you can stop and load up on Chi's/my plants and drop off yours. That way you can have some of everything of mine that you want - I won't be limited by what I can carry (I even have some Monarda I can divide for you and I have some extra chives). So if this is good with you, I'll send you my address and directions on how to get here. If it isn't good, we'll go back to Plan A (the mountain). Those rose cuttings would be great and if 'Overdam' is your grass name, then it's not what I have and I'd like to try it. Your Shasta Daisies and Dahlias are interesting too. And if you're still offering that peony, I'll go out tomorrow and see what I have that's interesting and run it by you to see if you want it and think it's worth it. Chi - everything you wanted you can have - the Clematis, Belamcanda, and Iris pseudacorus. Was there anything else? I would like some of your Honeysuckle and Clematis cuttings. BP