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Stewart Robert Hinsley · 25-04-2011, 01:38 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In message , writes
In article ,
Derek wrote:
On Sun, 24 Apr 2011 17:48:01 +0100, Pam Moore
wrote:

Those of you who bought the offer of "hardy hibiscus" last year, have
any shown any growth. Nothing on mine, just dead stalks.

For what it is worth
Quoting a definitions of 'hardy' from the British Fuchsia Society .

'A Variety that has survived five winters anywhere in the British
Isles'

Which leaves those of us north of the watford gap wishing we had had
the winters that the south coast has had!

Oh, nuts! Is that society run by retired Whitehall mandarins,
who have all got a second home there?

The only semi-hardy Hibiscus is syriacus, which would have been
marginal in last winter in most places (not all). Cambridge
had only the odd night with -8, and nothing lower, and my plants
(when I had them) survived that and more. But last winter was
also wet (early on) and that kills as readily as cold - I have
lost a common thyme, a golden thyme and a Buddleia davidii,
which I doubt were killed by -8.

My experience with Hibiscus syriacus over the last two winters is that
they were hardy in the ground (one variety got cut back in 2009/10, and
looks as if may have lost some more branches this last winter), but not
in pots.

Hibiscus moscheutos, in its native haunts, handles colder weather than
we get.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley