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For year-round border interest or hedging in sizes to fit any garden, Hebe is a shrewd choice, says Alys Fowler
WHAT THE SPECIALISTS SAY
Shirley Clemo, owner, Pine Lodge Gardens, St Austell, Cornwall "We have around 30 different hebes in our gardens and sell about 12 different cultivars and species. We vary the selection from year to year and propagate our own plants.
"Whipcord hebes are undervalued in the trade. They are a lovely group and should be more widely used. Hebe ochracea 'James Stirling' Award of Garden Merit (AGM) has lovely, golden foliage and keeps very small, which makes it excellent for tiny gardens, particularly as some hebes grow huge.
"I think whipcords are not as readily available because they are fairly difficult to propagate. You can take 10O cuttings and only 40 will root.
"There are a great many different flower colours, from dark reds to lavenders, blues and whites.
"Hebes really need full sun. You can put them in partial shade, but they become a bit leggy. We never get pests or diseases on hebes but that might be because we grow them in the right conditions-light and airy."
Matt Tanton-Brown, plant centre manager, The Place for Plants, Suffolk We sell around 20 different types of Hebe, but we don't always have them all in stock at once. They are very popular. People like them because they are reasonably drought tolerant.
"There are three or four very popular cultivars. Hebe'Mrs Winder'AGM has good, bronze foliage, reasonably nice flowers and thin leaves. It does not mind being pruned back. Hebe pimeleoioes 'Quicksilver' AGM is also popular for its foliage colour and spreading habit. Hebe 'Vogue' sells well for its lovely colour and large leaves. The foliage can be susceptible to wind damage, but it's a nice plant and is slow-growing.
"For hedging, Hebe top/ar/aAGM and Hebebuxifolia are good choices. We tend to stick to tried and tested varieties, but we stock the relatively new Hefae'Pink Paradise' and Hebe'Purple Paradise'.
"For general cultivation, I recommend planting hebes in full sun, but they will tolerate partial shade. They need a good watering to help them establish and, although...