Those are wonderful pictures. What a beautiful view of the water. Interesting to know that your bamboo is happy in a 4' wide bed as I just started investigating the possibility of doing something similar. Would love to hear any updates.

I can help as I know shooting star well. Here are some pointers: LIGHT: Place the plant where it gets full morning sunlight & afternoon shade. In San Francisco, it's cool so full sun all day is fine too. The shooting star was originally grown in Half moon bay, very similar to San Francisco. If it is too dark, the plant will not bloom. PINCHING(timing): For full Flower formation & expression, the time you pinch is critical. Pinch earlier than July 15. If you pinch back the plant later, you will not get any flowers! PINCHING(Where to pinch): pinch the plant approximately 4-6" above the ground even if that means there are no leaves left & you are only pinching brown wood. FEEDING: Do NOT feed after you pinch. Use clear water. If you wish to feed, use Peter's blossom booster for 5 weeks, then go to clear water. You can resume feeding with acidic plant fertilizer starting around early February as the plant start to grow again. You will have a full head of flowers galore in May/June😊❤️🌈

I have also been really confused over the Fuji Waterfall/Hanabi identity question. Last spring I ordered a "Fuji Waterfall" from Joy Creek Nursery; soon I expect to receive a "Hanabi" from Wilkerson Mill. It'll be interesting to see whether they are, indeed, exactly the same. My Fuji Waterfall arrived in excellent condition and grew beautifully in a pot over the summer; the foliage is glossy and very attractive. Yesterday I looked it over and was startled and delighted to see that it was in bud! Frost can't be too far away, so I'm not certain the flowers will open, but I'll be watching with interest.

I believe the hydrangea is "Sumida no Hanabi", which means the fireworks of the Sumida river. It was first planted by a nurseryman, Kakouen, in Kanagawa, Japan. Then was named as "Sumida no Hanabi" by Mr. Yamamoto, a founder of Japan Hydrangea Soc. http://www.exblog.jp/blog_logo.asp?slt=1&imgsrc=200606/22/75/f0050275_9545394.jpg It looks very similar to "Fuji Waterfall (serrata)" in photo but you can distinguish "Sumida" is a macrophylla from the size of the flower and the big leaf. Sumida often comes out in the autumn. And it sometimes becomes like a mophead, called as tower-like blooming style.