problem plants, advice please

My azalia is grown in a pot outside it too is looking very sorry for itself. Does your plant have brownish lumps on? If so this is azalia gall which is a fungus. You would need to pluck the galls off before the turn white as this means the spores have appeared.
On the other hand, mine doesn't have this. I put it's condition down to the crazy weather.

Jeannie do you live in an area with hard water or chalky limy soil? That would affect an azalea after a few years. They need an acid soil. You can buy special compost for such things. When you looked at the roots were they twisted round and round at the bottom of the plant? This would suggest the plant has has become "pot bound". The roots should be spread out evenly.

Are there any vine weevil grubs in the potting compost? These B*****s
chomp their way through the roots before hatching and the weevils eat very distinctive cuts in the plant leaves. The weevils are probably at the point of hatching now. Might be a bit later this year due to the weather.

See pictures in the link below.
www.google.co.uk/search?q=vine+weevils&sa=G&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=poOYUdPKKMjlOvqbgYAE&ved=0CFIQsAQ&biw=988&bih=477

Tip the compost out and look through it carefully to see if you can find any grubs like those in they pictures. You need to sort of sift through the compost as they hide themselves in lumpy bits.
An infestation of these can be devastating to plants, chopping them off at the roots. There are special vine weevil insecticides.
these images will help you identify them

Ericaceous fertiliser can help azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias growing in alkaline soil. My soil is fairly neutral, but my fence has a concrete base which I think leaches lime into the neighbouring soil and I give the camellias beside the fence a good dose of ericaceous fertilizer twice a year. They are now thriving after a poor start. It works for the very promising potted azalea too.

I didn't know that about the concrete fence. A couple of my skimmias which were in pots were transferred into the border and haven't thrived as well as expected [along with a pieris which is only half the size of it's potted chum bought at the same time]. Will throw some suitable compost at them. Thanks anno!