First, watering every other day is way too often. There are three things an azalea needs and they are drainage, drainage, and drainage. They are susceptible to root rot, especially in hot weather. If the roots are wet and hot, the plant is very likely to die of root rot.

If the plants look wilted in the heat of the day, that is normal. It is way they naturally conserve moisture. If they look wilted in the morning, then they are either too dry and need watering, or are dying from too much water. They symptoms are the same.

Also, mulching is very important. It does two very important things:
1) conserves moisture by preventing surface evaporation.
2) keep root zone cool preventing root rot.

Good Luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow azaleas and their problems.

Could the fact that all of the Encore Azaleas are listed for growing zones 7-9 and I am in zone 5/6 have anything to do with why they are not performing as I expected? Why would my local Lowe's even carry a plant that is not hardy for this zone?

I'm not 100% sure on the growing zones of encore's, I've been looking to purchase some myself and it seems like everyone has a different idea. Some vendors have advertised zone 5 and up, others zone 7 and up :(

That would only explain any plants that didn't make it through the winter. Since our recent winters haven't been especially bad, I doubt that is the problem now, it could be in the future. Since they are zone 7-9 plants, heat shouldn't be the problem.

Big box stores do this all the time. Many parts of Virginia are zone 7. They don't have different inventories for each store.

marciemyrtle,

The Encore people have their own website at:

http://www.encoreazalea.com/encore/

It doesn't list any Encore azaleas for zones 5 and 6. Some bloom but do not show the repeating characteristic further north.

Here is a link that might be useful: Encore Azaleas