Hibiscus - Hardy Ones Part Two

This first one is 'Blue River 2' (or II or Two, maybe even too - not sure which). It is an absolutely pure white, very large flower which always seems to show up bluish in photos. Maybe I'll try again today while it is overcast and a better day for taking pictures.

This is 'Crown Jewels', a slightly different shaped flower, sort of saucer shaped with an upturned edge.

I think I might have mentioned 'Fireball' before. It is very red, very large, and also a bit unruly in the garden. It is a large plant, probably 5 feet tall, but the stems don't seem to want to be upright, rather they head off a an angle, not on the ground, but somewhere in between, so that it takes up much more space than it would if it would behave better. I still like it, though, because of it's intense red flowers and burgundy flushed foliage.

This is 'Kopper King', a tall and skinny one with slightly smaller flowers, if any of the hibiscus I'm talking about could really be said to have small flowers. These are showy plants that demand your attention. This is even more true when at this time of year they are the only real show in the garden in any kind of major display. There are plenty of smaller things, lovely surprises as you round a corner - calendulas, zinnias, black eyed susans - but hibiscus will just not be ignored.

This is an older one, 'Lady Baltimore' and dependable. A pleasant shade of light pink with an eye.

Her counterpart if 'Lord Baltimore', the same sort of red as fireball, but in a taller plant with green foliage.

This pretty much covers the hardy hibiscus we grow here. I have 2 tropical ones that live in large pots outside in the summer and on the sunporch in the winter. They are way too big, but I've had them forever and couldn't part with them. I thought about taking cuttings so I'd have smaller plants, but they grow so quickly that it would be no time at all before they took over again. These are both ones with variegated leaves so they look nice even when not in bloom. They have smallish (for a hibiscus) flowers, both orange.

Speaking of things I'd rather not haul into the house again this year, I have a Night Blooming Cereus for which I'd like to find a new home. If any of you live in the vicinity of SE Ohio and would like it, let me know. Otherwise I'll probably list it on Freecycle.

Jane