Area Woman Held Hostage by Rowdy Hibiscus

I love hibiscus. I don't care the variety, colorations, single or double blossoms, I have them all. Why? Simple. They're on my side. But sometimes they turn.

When I started gardening, these were the only plants I could count on to make it through Florida's punishing summer. Sure, they always bit it in the winter, but they came back. Better. Stronger. Faster. The 100 million dollar hibiscus.

In fact, after the first or second season, they begin to get a little rowdy. They crowd others, they block sidewalks, their branches scrape the cars leaving the garage. The situation demands action. A trimming! Hedge clipping! Time to take them on, to do battle, to show them who wears the gardening gloves in this yard!

And that's when I blink.

It's not because I think they'll be damaged if I cut them back. Forever scarred, telling Dr. Phil about my misdeeds on a talk show in 10 years. I know they're tougher than that. I've seen them burned to the ground by frost only to come back, a little trim isn't something they'll get all bent out of shape about.

It's the blooms. The amazing six inch flowers, the colors, the vibrancy that makes them such a fixture in Florida gardens. These flowers only grow off new wood. The same wood I'm thinking of trimming off, thus reducing my flowers. Now you see my conundrum.

I think they know about my conundrum too. Last fall I knew the ones in the back were getting too leggy and needed a trim. BUT, there were these full flower buds at the end of the branches! So I'll trim next weekend. Well, they finally rewarded me with a show a good 2-3 months afterward. December. They know, I'm telling ya.

So I'm seeing Garage Hibiscus peeking around the corner of the house. He knows he is out of bounds. He's an old one, going on seven years, the "presidential" variety. Super tough and resilient with a trunk that's 3+ inches in diameter. He's seen it all. He's not afraid of the hedge trimmers.

Tomorrow, it's on. Yeah, yeah, tomorrow.