did you google REJUVENATION PRUNING OF FLOWERING SHRUBS ???? why in the world any so called expert.. would NOT know how to trim this bush is beyond me.. and makes me wonder about his CV .... curriculum vitae ... and for the cost of a saw .. $10 at tractor supply ... i dont know why you would pay anyone to do it ... and let me know what this dude charges you ... maybe its worth a drive from adrain.. lol ... but then i would violate rule 3 above ... you cant really have rule 3.. and do this properly ... and that is why you are spinning your wheels ... all flowering shrubs.. you enjoy the show.. then prune when its done flowering .. so it can set its buds in late fall for next year ... or if the other type.. grow the new buds in spring .... ken

Were we smoking or drinking anything funny while sitting outside in the rain???? Could be a fungus blasting its spores. Could be bursts of heat from normal composting, you just saw it clear-er because the heavy rain cooled the air. I know that just a pile of mulch can heat up enough to smoke during the winter - when you can see your breath kinda cold. So, do we need to send you some "more interesting" conversation topics to liven up that grillside chat fest? maybe some crowd pleasing jokes? shadow puppets? a portable tv? radio?

if otherwise zone appropriate.. you could just get a box from the grocer.. deep enough to hide the pots ... put all the pots in it.. and insulate with straw ... and leave them outdoors ... the pot mass will moderate all the pots ... i smoke outside.. in winter.. often in the garage... and a closed garage.. just by sun beating down on it.. can be 20 to 40 degrees warmer than outdoors during the day ... and it retains that heat long into the night ... and there is NO WIND in a closed garage ... be very careful about it all.. perhaps crack the window to moderate heat buildup .. etc ... you should really be able to tell how damp a pot is.. by how much it weighs ... always keep a pot full of DRY media around.. and then simply compare dry to moist ... let me put it this way.. if the media is holding a gallon of water.. then the pot should weigh around 7 pounds.. and if you cant tell 7 pounds.. from a few oz of dry media.. give up man .. lol ... there is nothing like hoiking a pot.. thinking its dampish.. and nearly putting it into orbit.. when you put your back into it.. and it weighs nothing .. lol .. anyway.. in the deep of winter dormancy.. err towards dry ... come root growing time .. that is when the plant will need the water ... ken

These vary in flowering behavior, same as other shrubs. If the foliage remains good-looking all summer lack of water probably not the problem. Maybe future results will be better. Propagations of 'Royal Purple' I've bought and planted have seemed to lack vigor, wanted to be watered. Otherwise Smoke Bush should grow well here without coddling - as long as exposure is sunny, soil is well-drained and not infested with Verticillium. Noted making up part of the continental climate scrub growing near the Great Wall, along with peach trees and lilacs. Perhaps the most impressive specimens I've seen have been in eastern WA.