I used to be a bit sniffy about hebes. I considered the majority of them inelegant and boring – bog standard shrubs you find in a variety of municipal situations...
I used to be a bit sniffy about hebes. I considered the majority of them inelegant and boring – bog standard shrubs you find in a variety of municipal situations including supermarket car parks, traffic islands and ‘displays’ outside shopping centres. Despite their long season of interest and popularity with bees, these plants gave me what you might call ‘the hebe jeebies’.
But that all changed, after the variety ‘Sapphire’ was sent into the Gardeners’ World Magazine office. None of my colleagues wanted it, so I reluctantly took it home ("for the bees"). I planted it in a shady corner and promptly fell in love with it.
Awarded an AGM by the RHS, Hebe ‘Sapphire’ is a lovely variety. Its glossy green, spear-shaped leaves are tinged with purple, and it flowers for months. Even in the deep shade of my garden it produces an abundance of blooms, which attract hundreds of bees in summer and hoverflies in autumn. It grows to an eventual height of 1.5m, so is perfect for a small garden like mine.
Because I 'plonked' my new hebe in a corner without considering what would grow with it (it was initially planted as a temporary measure until I found something nicer to replace it with), it was a happy accident that its neighbours included pink-flowered cranesbill and Campanula portenschlagiana - a winning combination. I hope the fact that the cranesbill is still in flower won’t hamper its performance this year.
Now, as the dead leaves of spent annuals and herbaceous perennials hang limply from shrivelled stems, my Hebe ‘Sapphire’ stands tall – glossy and upright like a shining green beacon. Even in January, it’s the best looking plant in the garden.
So, while I still think some hebes are inelegant and boring, I've learned to appreciate their value in small gardens. They flower their socks off, are loved by bees, and provide a very long season of interest. And some of them are just lovely.
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