Ooh! There you are. :O) Glad you weren't gone for long.

Vera, I have these. Saw my first bloom last year after five years of growing it. They are starting to bud right now which is earlier than other years, so we'll see if I get anything this year. If not, then they are coming out. Problem is that I find they need constant moisture, rich soil, and heat. Everyone who I know grows them around here brings them into the house for the winter.

Thanks Tiffy :)

I do keep the moisture constant and mulch well. They winter over here just fine in the ground too. Did you really say it took 5 years to start blooming?!! Egads...I'm not that patient LOL!

VEra

What a difference a couple of zones makes. Mine bloomed in their pots, the year they were sown.

I'm thinking about getting rid of them after this season. They are great plants, but they leave such a hole in the gardens since they start growing so late in the spring. They are also a pain in the patoot to deadhead as they get bigger, and look awful if I don't do it. I've tried cutting them back a couple of times, early in their growth period, but they still get huge.

Maybe I'll give them their own bed, and surround them with spring flowering bulbs to hide the early season emptiness.

My wintersown ones bloomed this week.

Clarification, one bloomed this week. The others are about a foot high with no buds. I have a red Texas Star with buds that should open within a week. The others that came back from purchased plants have been blooming for over a month. I wouldn't wait 5 years for these either. Plants from cuttings were quicker to bloom than from seed.

I love mine
its covered with buds right now.can't wait for this years show. it usually starts blooming in july but this has been a very strange year.
mines in full sun with a lot of mulch.
they do wilt easy with out it.
mine is the pink one with dark pink centers.
huge flowers 8"
they stay with in reach 4' i think.
yes they do need dead heading to look there best.
but well worth it.:)

I ALMOST took all of mine out this year because they are just "too much" - too big, too late, too everything. But I followed someone's advise (I think it was Karen) and pinched thme back hard a couple of times. They have just started blooming and I love them. About 5' tall and wide and full of buds. They used to get 6- 7 ' and much less full.

I also WS a red "disco bell" last year and it bloomed a little, but this year it's great! Only about 3' tall with these huge wine colored blooms (just started blooming last week though). I'll be saving lots of seeds for those of you who were looking for a red splash in the garden!

I did pinch mine out in June....right now they are at about 18" to 24". These ones came from Disco Bell. As far as deadheading is concerned....doesn't bother me at all; I am the queen of deadheading LOL!!

Thanks for all the replies.

Vera,

I would get buds in the early years but then the cold night would take them away. :O(

nan 6161,
i'd love a splash of red in my garden,
do you want some of my pink seeds?
do you have to hand pollinate?
bees don't like mine.
too bad jpb's do :(
Laura

Laura - - -Seeds won't be ripe for quite a while (it just started blooming) but if you make a note to send me an email in late September, I'll have some for you.

I do have the light pink w/ dark pink center tall ones and a "bubble gum " pink too. And a white I think. I've never hand pollenated any plant - have lots of bees and butterflies for that! (smile) Wouldn't even know how to approach it.

Northern bee's are lazy lol
are you joining the seed swap?
if not you should. this will be my 1st time.
send date is the end of oct.
sounds pretty ease.
I have to use a Qtip. sounds silly to you I bet.
lol
Laura

nan,
i just checked over to the seed swap and you're already there.
lol
Laura

Last year I WS'd some seeds received in a trade and planted them right next to my store-bought Luna Red which has bloomed beautifully for the past two years. The Lunas and several of my 'babies' (the sturdiest specimens) are in bud. They are about 2 feet tall. My Luna's usually bloom in about the 3rd week of August. Will be interesting to see what emerges as my seeds were un-named.

My hardy hibiscus is nameless to me. About 6 or 7 years ago I got a call from a woman in our Friend's Meeting who identified herself as the "resident nag". She said "Come
over right now. I have something you need!!" When I got
there I found the hardy hibiscus--4 ft tall--dug out of the
soil. It took both of us to lift it into my station wagon and I couldn't close the hatch. It was in full bloom and far too large for the garden it was in.

It is a variety that has medium sized (about 6 in)dark rose blooms on some branches and light rose on others. It's all the things others have said--late rising, need deadheading, and in my case until this year--exceedingly
attractive to Japanese beetles. I'd go out with my qt.yogurt container full of dishwash detergent water to pick the beetles and often need to take off the current day's flower because of the destruction. Well this may
be a strange weather year but I sure haven't seen many JB and NONE on the hibiscus. I'm really enjoying it.

I find the dried seed pods very attractive in large dried
arrangements or bouquets with ornamental grasses, teasel, etc. etc. It also self sows modestly and sells well at the
garden club sales.

Chris

Chris

Sounds like two different hibiscus growing together.

Last year my hibiscus were just humongous. This season I whacked them to the ground twice and now they're setting blooms at hip-height. Hooray. Still lots of flowers but at a very manageable height.

I think a row of hibiscus would certainly do well for a seasonal hedge--nice around a patio or deck if you want some privacy.

Just wanted to add that they do well in wet boggy areas too. I travel North and South on 104 to and from work and the old Erie Canal runs along the highway. It is Full of Hibiscus every year. I always look forward to them starting to bloom. One of these days they are going to cause me to have a car wreck! They are standing in green stagnated looking water of the canal and they look beautiful. There is a sea of them in Red and White and every shade of Pink. I would love to go in after some but fear how many rattlesnakes and copperheads would greet me. I do have three red and one pink and white in my yard that are awesome too. But they were purchased. I saved lots of seeds and W/S a bunch. I hope they bloom by next year. I still have seeds from last year if anyone needs some. email me.