Should I pick the dead flowers off my rhododendrons,( the sticky bits) does this improve next year's growth or does it restrict the growth, I wish my R's to grow bigger.

Hi Ron
If you have the time, and the inclination, go ahead and deadhead the flowers off of your rhododendrons. Whether you deadhead or don't deadhead will not make a difference to the roddy. Just make sure not to remove any leaf growing tips... I don't deadhead most of mine as it would take too long

I have 2 new azaeleas and was wondering the same thing - the flowers are all going brown on one of them and it looks awful - not sure what i should be doing to them

As I said remove if you want to... we have too many to deal with like that - though a friend of mine used to deadhead all of hers until recently and she has apprx 50 in her garden