ES is a macrophylla, same as Penny Mac and blooms on old wood. Any pruning past mod-late summer and you may remove next years flower buds.
ES was a slow starter for me. I planted 2 in early fall, one from 3gal., one from 1 gal. The following year, the larger one had 3 blooms, none on the 1 gal. 2nd year, about a dozen on the large one, still none on the small.
Third year was charm! The large one produced 75-80 flowers and a few on the small one.
Each year since, the larger plant has produced in excess of 100 flowers and the smaller one is trying to catch up.
They usually begin blooming by Easter each year, but not so this year. I still don't have a flower bud on either.
This past winter was very hard on macrophyllas and serratas.
For the first time ever, I am having to remove dead canes on the majority of them, some have required the removal of all of the old canes. I don't expect to see many flowers on any of them this year.
So goes the luck of a gardener!
Rb

Rb:
Penny Macs and Endless Summers will bloom on old and NEW growth as well. Do not give up hope on your new growth. You may have flowers this year yet!
Jemboysch

My Penny Mac never reblooms on new growth and has few blooms on old growth, even though it receives morning sunlight until past noon. I call it DUD-ly Do-little!
ES does set a few blooms on new growth, but that occurs so late in the season, that frost kills them before they fully develop.
Rb

Ditto what razorback33 said. Penny Mac is a big disappointment. Does not bloom on new growth for me. Getting ready to SP it.

same here in Virginia