Hebe gleebies

HEBES can work their magic anywhere, from rockeries and borders to all kinds of container.

Many make excellent ground cover and tall varieties, such as Great Orme, which grows to 1.4m, can be used to create hedges.

Because of their leathery foliage, they are often able to survive a salty battering in seaside gardens.

Garden centres promote them as new season specials at this time of year. As a rule of thumb, large leaved hebes are less hardy than those with smaller leaves.

For impact, there are a couple of outstanding medium- sized ones in bloom right now.

These are Autumn Glory, which has dark green l eaves and produces dark violet flowers with white centres right through to October. Blue Clouds has glossy green leaves that turn purple in winter and long wisteria-blue flowering spikes. Red Edge is a wonder. It makes a dense shrub with pale lilac blooms above a bun of neat grey-green leaves that have a fine red edge, which becomes more noticeable in winter. Hebe Heartbreaker is exactly what its name implies because you can’t help but fall in love with this plant. It has delightful cream-edged green leaves that develop a vivid pink flush as the temperature falls. In borders, tall hebes make good companions for lateflowering perennials such as nerines, sedums and red hot pokers because they help produce a natural look. Or go for shrubs such as hibiscus and cotinus. These look good alongside plants with purple, white and green blooms, so try late-flowering garden chrysanthemums.

Dwarf varieties are perfect for pots. Nicola’s Blush is one of the best. It produces butterfly- friendly pink flower spikes, which fade to white to give a wonderful two-toned effect that can last through to November. Its evergreen leaves also take on good purple tints as the nights draw in.

Small mound-forming hebes tend to be hardier than larger varieties and make attractive neat plants for edging or grouping at the front of borders.

Although they tolerate shade, plants flower best in full sun and must have well-drained soil enriched with organic matter to stop roots becoming dry.

A light trim in late summer can boost straggly plants by encouraging plenty of strong new shoots.

If it is a tough winter, wrap vulnerable plants with fleece, particularly if they are in containers.