Susie,
Thanks. A few days ago I moved it into the garage - where it spent last winter - and have watered it lightly. I saw some small, new, green leaves on it today. My thinking now is that frost killed most of the foliage, but didn't have much effect on the wood. It's not uncommon for the lowest temperatures to occur just before dawn and to be short-lived. Good thing, too. I've been thinking of planting another, but the last time I looked, Jean Pasco wasn't in Logee's catalogue.
For thrips, one approach is to plant Lagerfeld, not as a decorative plant, but as a trap. I've had roses on Lagerfeld ruined for weeks on end, while roses on plants literally brushing up against it were totally unaffected. Not 100% sure it would work. But it's an easy solution if it does. BTW, I haven't tried this, but I suppose you could dust the flowers on Lagerfeld with Rotenone. Or you could simply hope that it makes it easier for the bugs that feed on thrips to find them all huddled together there.
