Whatever you plant it will look a little forlorn until it gets established and fills in. It looks like you have an overhang and that could present a problem. You do not have enough room between the house and the walk to put in both Azaleas and perennials.

Thanks Waplummer.... you don't think there would be room to put some other plants in there with an azalea. The bed is a little over 7.5 feet in depth.. I thought I would be able to put at least a few smaller things along the edges or something.

In the Poconos, rhododendrons will be hardier for you than evergreen azaleas. Deciduous azaleas are hardy also. The plants are usually rated as to their height after 10 years.
Low is 3', Medium is 4-5', and 6' or more is tall. There is a good website where you can look them up to see their height and their hardiness. You want a hardiness of at least -15F and -20F to -25F is better.

Also, since you get late frosts, I would not select an early blooming plant. Late frosts will kill the flowers. Select a plant that is mid-season or late blooming. Now is too early to buy plants that are blooming. The frosts we are getting will kill the flowers. Wait until around May 15 and check the weather forcast. The ones that are blooming will have their flowers killed by late frosts.

Azaleas give a mass of color, but after the flowers fade, the plant is not as attractive as a rhododendron. Rhododendrons have larger flowers that are spectacular close up and make an excellent shrub when they are not in bloom.

The nursery prices are good. The larger plants will always be a year or two ahead of the smaller plants. Locally grown plants do best. The big box plants were grown in a warmer climate and will struggle for a couple years.

For some suggestions on plants check the ones listed for Central PA in the following list:

Proven Performers

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Data (select either Rhododendrons or Azaleas)

Thanks so much for the advice. I will take a look at the Rhododendrons. I'm definitely going to check out that site you sent. I'm glad the nursery prices aren't bad. I'll be heading there to check out the prices of the Rhods too. Thanks so much.

This is from years ago, but as a new homeowner who recently planted some Azeleas there are some differences in the ones that cost more. The 30 dollars ones are probably encore varieties which will bloom out two or three times in a year depending on which one it is. The cheaper ones from the box store is likely the kind that will only bloom out in the spring. Both types are nice, but you get more flower time with the more expensive ones and it is definitely worth the extra expense in my opinion.

The everblooming azaleas such as Encore and Bloom-a-thon are nice. They have a fairly good spring bloom and then in summer start blooming sporadically on new wood. This continues until fall usually. They perform better in the south and aren't that popular north of Virginia.

On the other hand, other azaleas have a much heavier bloom. The entire plant turns pink or white or red or whatever. By carefully planting azaleas, one can get a continuoum of blooms from early spring until late summer.

Evergreen azaleas come in different varieties that can form a succession of bloom from early spring into early summer. The groups wth early bloomers include the Aromi, Glenn Dale and Kurume Azaleas. The Satsuki and Gumpo Azaleas are the latest blooming evergreen azaleas, blooming in June.

Deciduous azaleas tend to start blooming later and some varieties bloom very late. R. prunifolium, R. arborescens, R. viscosum, and the Weston hybrid azaleas bloom in summer with prunifolium blooming into the fall. However, some do bloom early, with R. austrinum and R. schlippenbachii being among the first azaleas to bloom.