Giving established hebes a light trim
Hebes are lovely evergreen shrubs that provide a reliable backdrop, not only of green but sometimes other tints too, particularly in the new growth. Unlike many evergreens, hebes also have lovely flowers, fluffy and pollinatorfriendly, in shades of purple, pink or white.
Strong, well-established hebes in a sheltered spot can be trimmed lightly now, but avoid pruning less established specimens, as it would leave the cut stems exposed to frost. Also, take care not to prune with too much gusto and step back regularly to check your progress.
1
ASSESS your hebe to decide if you should prune it now, and what needs doing. How mature is it? Is it in a sheltered spot and therefore less likely to get damaged by frost? Are there any diseased or damaged areas? Is it shading out other plants?
2
DEADHEAD any spent blooms that are no longer useful to pollinators. Hebes have a long flowering period, so some flowers will have gone over while others may still be coming. Deadheading encourages it to keep on flowering.
3
GIVE it a careful, light prune, taking off a stem at a time. You’re not creating topiary, just removing any stems that are too tall or sprawling, disrupting the overall look of the shrub. Also remove any diseased or damaged shoots.