Good question Andres and one I was just about to ask. I have yet to have any luck with any hydrangea and was wondering what the secret is to blooming it in Edmonton. There are white hydrangea in front of the University hospital here and they are absolutely amazing. Or maybe it is Snowball bush? Hmmm....

Here's a link although not in our zone.

http://endlesssummerblooms.com/de/consumer/plants/bloomingsuccess

Hydrangea macrophyllas such as Endless Summer are hard to bloom in Alberta. They do bloom quite late. Since our spring and summer the last while have been so poor I wouldn't expect much from this particular plant.

Hydrangea paniculatas do much better. These are ones like 'Quickfire', 'White Diamond', etc. I have a couple of Quickfire that are blooming right now (I'm in Calgary)

Oh yeah, hibiscus...

I've never seen them overwinter. I've heard tales...

They're so cheaply available though, it's worth a shot.

Several years ago I had hardy hibiscus survive several seasons. I started them from seed (collected in southern Ontario) and planted them on the south side of the house, right up against the foundation in a very protected area where the soil warmed early in spring. They grew well, by mid-July they were nice looking plants but didn't start to bloom until very late August. They did survive some light frosts - the proximity to the house probably helped that a lot. When I removed them I didn't transplant them elsewhere as I didn't have a place to put them at the time - I thought I would eventually start more from seed but never did. They would be worth another try, IMO.

I've always thought that someone should start selecting hibiscus for hardiness. Somebody should plant 15K hibiscus and see which ones overwinter, and go from there.

It's basically how the Morden and Parkland roses got their start.

Shazam, that would be a good project for you ! LOL !

DH often says that to me when I say "somebody should". =:)

In Edmonton, I've seen some very nice specimens of 'Endless Summer', these were planted near the south foundation of someone's home. I had also spoken with a worker at Wellington Greenhouse who said that the plant upon her property has been very good. This spring, I planted out a similar variety called 'Early Sensation' (from the Forever and Ever series) it does bloom early, mine's been flowering for about a month now, the photo was taken two weeks ago. It's rated to zone 4, It's situated near the foundation and planted deeply and shall be protected for winter, I think it'll be just fine.

'Incredibelle' is producing beautiful absolutely HUGE flower heads, it's an improvement over the old 'Annabelle'.

'Bella Anna' has been very nice, though has not turned the bright pink/red color as shown in promo photos, it also is now turning green, so I guess there's no hope for the bright color promised. Others in warmer climates have been disappointed with this one and the similar 'Invincibell Spirit', I've seen the latter at a friend's place and it was all floppy and blah!

I did try a hardy hibiscus alongside my house, though it would bud up so late and never did I get one single open blossom, I should check if there's any capable of flowering earlier?

'Early Sensation' hydrangea

{{gwi:766910}}

Terrance

Yeah, given the right climate they will do well. I have seen good specimens of in Calgary - but they're in extremely protected locations.

naf, I have thought about a nursery for a while now. I'm fairly young too (37) so I would have plenty of time to see the results of my work. There's actually a cauliflower farm near Edmonton that I suspect will be up for sale soon; that would be a perfect location...

Im quite dissapointed. Its September 6 and there are no signs of buds on my Endless Summer Hydrangea. When do these things flower??? I hope this heatwave were having this week helps forms some buds but alas our first frost is around the corner!!! Only time will tell...

My Endless Summer bloomed very well two years ago, didn't bloom at all last summer, and this summer bloomed moderately well. I think the growing season is long enough - it starts blooming in early August.

Unless, it's like the link that Honalee provided says basically that Endless Summer blooms on old as well as new wood, but it may take longer for blooms to develop if developing on new wood.

So, maybe in reality the plant only blooms on the prairies if the old wood survives winter as the growing season isn't long enough to allow flower buds to develop on new wood.

I had an Endless Summer hedge when I was living in zone 5b in Ohio before. Even in that relatively warmer climate, my Endless Summer did not bloom well every single year. Don't get me wrong, I still loved it, but it was not as reliable a bloomer as I had hoped. It grew to about 5 feet tall there. In zone 3, I really wonder how well it would bloom, if it would even survive the winter. I also doubt that it would ever get to be 5 feet tall here....

For your hardy hibiscus, if it is dwarf bright solid red, it is probably Hib moscheutos Luna Red. These are tough plants, and worthwhile to try to overwinter, they will be a nicer bush the following year. I have many H. moscheutos, dwarf and full size, and have managed to overwinter in 5a, 5b, and friends in Zone 4. I hope the following info helps if you want to try to overwinter it.
First: these plants regrow from the roots next year. Don't worry about keeping the current year's branches protected. However, I do not cut down the branches as these plants take a long time to sprout in the spring, and leaving the branches from last year will remind you where the plant is located. Secondly, this autumn, start to cover the root area/base of plant with whatever you have handy: extra dirt, compost, mulch, etc....to cover from the base of the plant out to the drip line and pile it one foot high ( do not worry about the branches, they die off). If you can manage more than a foot high, by all means go ahead.Ideally to cover before the frost starts coming. This huge mounding of dirt, etc.. provides a cover for the roots to give it the best chance to grow again next year.
Next year, slowly start to remove the extra dirt, etc... as the flowrbeds are thawing. These plants stay dormant quite a long time compared to other plants, so don't give up hope! In my zone they start sprouting thru the dirt in June, but were in full roar bloom in August. ONce they are sprouting, you can either leave the remaining dirt in place or remove it gradually; at the same time you can start to cut the previous year's dead branches once you can see where the plant is sprouting.
I'm sorry for the long post but these are lovely plants and not at all difficult to overwinter. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Good luck!