I have a purple azalea and I have never ever pruned it and it flowers every year, I am not sure if they are to be pruned.

I have just googled it and it says if it is to be pruned do it after it has flowered but before July as next years flower buds will be starting to form after that.

It flowers in the spring and she "lops" it every spring you have the answer is she related to the Adams Family Mortisha comes to mind with what she does with roses .

She wants to leave alone and let it flower , maybe she would be better off with a bonsai garden LOL

Some peole just love to prune

Gg

Yes she is cutting of the flowering buds before they can flower!

Bless her, she won't believe me but I am hoping she will let me have it for my garden. Thanks everyone.

Having read this thread, Cammomile, if your sister is anything like my sister, you can tell her what she's doing wrong, but it'll fall on totally deaf ears, lol

Totally deaf ears - she lops it because its under her rotary washing line - don't ask!

Strange place to put an azalea

People don't think it through when they put a rotary line in, Moon Grower - you need at least 6 feet all round clear of plants, and even then, on a windy day, sheets will catch on shrubs. I know from when I had a tiny garden...

I know Bamboo...

Yes thats why I said don't ask!!

People can be quite strange sometimes - I have known quite a few of them who complain about something, but, when offered a solution, ignore it, and carry on regardless, as if you've not spoken. I have come to the conclusion that a lot of the moaning that goes on is simply done for some sort of peculiar pleasure which must be derived from it, because it's not solution oriented, and by that I mean the point of the complaint isn't to find a solution to the problem, it seems to be the complaining itself that's important in some way. Nowt so queer as folk I guess...