If they don't have optimum conditions, they will tend to flower for a shorter period too. Your soil and general environment has a big effect. Good soil, good water [preferably from the sky!] and a bit of shade, and they will thrive. It's beneficial to deadhead them too.
However, as doc says - many of them don't flower for a particularly long time. Is your soil dry or wet? The stems look very brittle and dry. Unfortunately I have very little soul in the garden just a layer under the stones... should I dig a larger hole around it and add soil.. if so, what kind? Sorry I’m a total novice
You could pull back the stones and mulch with ericaceous soil, mounding it up a few inches deep around the drip line but keeping the stem at the same depth of soil. Water with rain water.
Your "after flowering" photo suggests the plant is dry - those leaves don't look very happy... rhododendrons like a bit of shade, as well as acid soil (not limey). If it is stressed through lack of water the flowers won't last long. And as Fairygirl says, best watered with rainwater. Do you have a water butt?
No unfortunately no water butt plus no rain here for weeks now
In a drought situation any water is better than no water... the Internet suggests acidifying tap water by adding a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
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