Ask The Expert: I bought 3 hardy, Japanese azaleas. Leaves are dropping and is it o.k. to put outside yet? Do I plant in garden or in pots? How general should I care for them? I got them from a website called gardening direct. They are in 17cm pots. The leaves that are on the plants look very healthy but there were a lot of dead leaves in the packaging. I live in SE London. Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: I looked up London's hardiness zone which is 9 and compared it to the hardiness of the azalea plants, which is zone 5 -9. So, the plant will do well in your area. However, this isn't really the time of year to plant azaleas. Without knowing where the plants came from and what temperatures they were kept at, I wouldn't place them directly outside. I would probably grow them in a garage or winter building until late April or May when the temperature are a bit warmer and more stable. Or you could slowly acclimate the azalea to the cold temperature. [...]