Struggling with Rose of Sharon — would appreciate advice

I want to be honest: I'm not getting great results with Rose of Sharon and I'm not entirely sure why. dieback from harsh winters on marginally hardy varieties has been a recurring problem despite my attempts to address it. I've been focusing on watering in dry spells in the first two seasons after planting based on everything I've read.

permanent woody structure providing year-round garden framework is there in glimpses, which tells me the plant has potential in my conditions. I have it in a formal clipped topiary or box hedge which might not be ideal. early spring flowering on bare branches before leaves appear showed some improvement. Two stars for now — not the plant's fault, but not a success yet. I'll update if things improve.