Just last week I was complaining commenting that my Rose of Sharon had not yet bloomed. Yesterday, when I walked out the door, I spied a branch that had a few blooms on it: 
This shrub was planted long before I moved here, so I am not sure which variety I am growing. Rose of Sharon love warm temperatures so it does not normally do well in a zone 4 climate. However, my front entrance is in the shape of a U and the one unwalled side has a line of pine trees, creating a microclimate warm enough for my Rose of Sharon to flourish: 
It really is as tall as my house and it is gorgeous when it is completely decked out in blooms! And yes, we do trim it back each year, but it is hard to tell from looking at it.
From the look of these buds, I won’t have long to wait: 
Not only does this plant bloom late, it leafs out late. If you start one this summer, do not assume the worst if it is still bare in May. It is fairly drought tolerant. We have it on a drip line and only water it 3 times a week for less than 15 minutes each time, but I do not know the flow on the drip line to tell you how much water in inches we are giving it each week. To provide more insulation during our cold winters, I let the leaves that fall around the base remain there until spring.
To view gardens from around the world, visit Flaunt Your Flowers Friday at Tootsie Time.
Tootsie says
I think I will make a little trip to the tootsie library of plant books and see if those would be happy in my garden…they are gorgeous when they are blooming! thanks for the tip!
Suzy says
Mines is just blooming now. Its a little munchkin compared to yours though. 🙂
Kaye Swain - SandwichINK Real Estate Info for the Sandwich Generation says
How lovely. We once had a giant camellia bush like that – where you'd trim it and it would grow back bigger the next year. One year, though, we trimmed at the wrong time of the year and didn't have blooms for two years. But eventually… 🙂
Country Gal says
My Rose of Sharon bushes have been blooming their little hearts out since mid-July. I can't believe how big yours is! It's exciting to know I have that to look forward to! 🙂
Sandy says
Beautiful and thanks for all the helpful hints on growing and watering. I don't have one in my garden, but I would not think twice about planting one.
Sandy