I would check out the Lets Dance Series and plant them. Someone told they are compact and rebloomers.

do you think the ones in the pic are naturally small or have been pruned?..for the 2 Bloomstrucks, 2 Twist N Shouts and 3 ES originals that I already have..just wondered if I cut them back I could better protect and increase my blooms..

You could always prune them in the Fall. They would grow back from new stems. And stay short since they grow back from scratch.

But if you prune them in the fall, you are pruning off the first bloom buds which seems self-defeating. I think the only way to have small ones and spring flowers is to buy ones that are genetically small.

I'll have dead to cut off in late May..I don't prune in the fall..I've read that it's best to prune before July 1st..so I could shape the shrub and shorten it late June..the stems will probably not have blooms..then MAYBE those stems can develop buds then survive the winter better protected (because they're short) then bloom hopefully..that's what I was thinking and wondered if this strategy works..

NHBabs..so a normal sized mac if kept small will probably not bloom?..it does seem that you're fighting Mother Nature and when you do you LOSE..just always hoping I can crack the code for macs where I live..moving to Georgia seems to be the answer..lol..

I’m thinking of pruning one ES to about 6” next Sept. as a test .. much easier to Winter pro( I can just bury the hold plant) and maybe have blooms in mid Summer... what heck I have nothing to lose

Well, the larger ones want to be large, and even mine which die to the ground every year reach 3', so I can't imagine how much pruning one would have to do to keep them the size in the photo. I don't think one June pruning would do it since mine grow fairly quickly once they sprout.

hyed..why is it we can buy a short mac with blooms when in my yard they're tall without blooms?..so like we were thinking if we can protect EVERY bud well (because they're short) we could have blooms??..

NHBabs..they are fast growing..I saw this pic and thought hmm..if I sacrifice size and protect them PERFECTLY would mine look like this??..

Nichols, in Spring all the bloom come from the bottom ... nothing from the top. Because ofWinter kill so we end up cutting the canes, why not just cut in September and see what happens

hyed..yeah why not give it a shot??..garden pics can be deceiving..brand new greenhouse plants in perfect condition just planted for a photo op..but we see them and think how pretty I'll buy some..then they don't ever look as nice..since the pic was staged..

Are you planning to do this as an alternative to winter protection? It won't have the same results since winter protection keeps those spring flower buds, whereas not protecting or hard pruning will at best give you late summer bloom.

Still protect during the winter but not allow the shrub to get tall..trying for the look in the pic..but to be honest I doubt that it would work..just wondered if anyone's tried this so I created a post..can't seem to find the perfect winter protection :-(

Babs ,Yes ...as I said Without WP I will get a few blooms at the very bottom...I end up cutting the caines in May .. why not just cut everything down to 6”in Oct and see if I’ll get my reblooms in mid summer...I will cover the 6” in mulch and leaves... my ES get to 5’ why not test one..it that or bye bye... lol

illsstep..first pic shows 7 macs..1 was there..6 were planted late summer/early fall 2017..4 were moved from other locations in my yard..2 new cheap Bloomstrucks..this is an east facing spot..I thought if they never bloom they'll make decent filler in an out of view spot..pic2 is the current winter protection..I've tried garbage bags over the plant filled with leaves..once my husband built 3 ft high wooden fencing that we surrounded one with..then filled with leaves..for this year at first I wasn't going to bother but at the last minute filled garbage bags and lined them up and covered the tops with leaves..I totally AGREE with you that here they do NOT bloom on new wood..which is why I try to "overwinter" my old stems..