A Luthien Tinuviel...love the name ;-) As the Johns mentioned...patience. Josh

I didn't grow mine from seed, I bought it as a small plant. This is my first year growing it, so I'm not sure I'm the best advice giver, but so far my plant is doing well. It is growing new leaves and is a bit bigger now than when I bought it. I'm still not comfortable enough to cut anything off of it though. The old leaves are browning and falling off and being replaced by new leaves, but it's still a pretty bare little plant. I know where a lot of people go wrong is not knowing that it's a deciduous shrub. In cold weather it drops its leaves and looks dead until spring, and if it's kept warm enough it'll come back. Maybe your weather wasn't warm enough for it.

Ah mine has only just been shunted off towards the greenhouse, having finally shed it's leavest. It definitely seems to need a long dormancy - mine is slow to leaf up again, looking sere and dead until late May. A young green plant will go through without losing leaves but unless you can introduce a slow hardening off period to get it into a dormant state, you are obliged to keep it under cover...with all the ensuing anxiety regarding winter watering. I have not tried winter rooted cuttings (they certainly make enough woody growth) but I might be inclined to make an attempt to hedge my bets with some small hardwood cuttings in a frost-free frame. In truth, it was a plant I used to buy annually, along with those picky scented leaf geraniums...

It may be that you painted latex over oil paint. Did you test the old paint first before you repainted? Another reason could be that it may not have been properly cleaned and prepped. If there was any dirt or residue from cooking or just everyday life in general that can keep paint from adhering. A good clean and light sanding will insure that it will stick! If your not sure what the original paint is you can try removing it with a rag dipped in mineral spirit. If it softens and comes off it is oil base. A rag wet with denatured alcohol will remove latex paint. If you don’t trust what’s on there you can always prime with an oil base primer and then repaint with the paint of your choice; even latex.