What a challenge to take on.

I have never seen gardens with sun azaelas. Only shade types. So coming up with sun-loving complimentary companions is difficult. Do they have bare lower branches? Would an underplanting of reseeding annual Lunaria be pretty, and easy to rake away when done? Or too much upkeep? I like perrenial candytuft or armeria as a low solid edging. I think you have to take a plant to the site to see if it works.

If the bed is as hot and sunny as you say, the azaleas won't be there for long, so you might want to start thinking about their replacements. There are many sun-loving evergreen shrubs that might do better and you could mix them with the daylillies and the ground covers mentioned above. Daylillies do so well here and there are so many yellows available that I really don't think you could go wrong with them.

Some azaleas do very well in full sun but they should be mulched well to keep the roots cool. For example:

Azalea ÂFlame Creeper  (Macrantha) [Late, -10oF, Dwarf] Noted for its tolerance of full sun, this reliable azalea displays a profusion of scarlet-orange flowers. It makes a delightful ground cover with its small leaves and creeping habit.

Azalea ÂHino Crimson  (Kurume) [Early, -10oF, Low/Med] Bright crimson flowers unfold in April, holding their color well into ensuing weeks. This attribute, coupled with sun tolerance and red winter foliage, makes ÂHino Crimson' an excellent all around choice. Planted in the open, it grows to a dense 2½' mound, although it adapts well for use as hedging. Very popular!

Azalea ÂHinode-giri  (Kurume) [Early, -5oF, Medium] One of the more sun-tolerant hybrids, this azalea produces multitudes of rose-crimson flowers early to mid-season. Small, glossy leaves turn bright red in winter on this dense and shapely plant.

Azalea ÂStewartstonian  (Gable) [Early, -20oF, Medium] A sun tolerant hybrid, ÂStewartstonian' displays lush red 2" blooms that, in the light, appear blood orange. Winter foliage deepens to wine red, rendering it excellent for color in the winter garden. Excellent for bonsai, as well.

The above descriptions are courtesy of Greer Gardens

Here is a link that might be useful: Greer Gardens Nursery in Eugene, Oregon

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions! I have added some daylillies to fill in the bare spots around the current plants and will look into replacing the existing azaleas with ones that are more sun hardy. I think I'll add some iris to help with height until the new plants stretch out a bit. Thanks again!