Veronica shrubs make colourful additions

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 16, 10 September 1985, Page 18

Veronica shrubs make colourful additions

Last week I promised to mention some of the Hebes or Veronicas, which make an attractive addition to a shrubbery, and some of the small low-growing varieties make excellent ground covers. Hebe Vdora Boxwood is a most attractive shrub, growing as it does into a large round compact ball with small close leaf formation and attractive white flowers in the spring, it makes a good foil between taller trees or shrubs and a complete fill-in for that large empty space. We have it growing beneath the Cotinus Americanus, which 1 mentioned earlier for its brilliant autumn colour, and a Rosemary which is kept clipped into shape. Hebe Albicans, a smaller shrub growing to about a metre in height, is another that will fit in well between other shrubs, and has a pretty white flower about November to December. Hebe Canterburyensis grows to about a metre in height and is outstanding for its attractive black stems.

The white flowers are borne December to January. Some of the whipcord varieties are very attractive. Hebe Cheesemanii is a very graceful whipcord, rich green in colour, and Hebe Hectorii, a heavily branched whipcord, has white or sometimes pink flowers in January to February. Hebe Amstrongii is a most attractive small plant, a greeny yellow whipcord which grows to about 60cm and has a small pretty white flower. Hebe Armstrongii James Stirling turns gold/bronze in winter and makes a bright patch of colour when there is not a lot of colour in the garden. Hebe Chatamica and Hebe Deeumbens Prostrata are two which form very good ground cover. These are just a few of a very large range of Hebes. Some have pink or lavender flowers, such as Hebe Speciosa Pink and Hebe Violacae. I was going to say that these two very pretty Hebes were a bit too tender for our weather up here. We have tried to grow both and have

lost them, but this week somebody brought in a spray of a very attractive Hebe with a pretty pink flower which 1 thought to be Speeiosa pink, so perhaps you can persuade it to grow with adequate shelter. It is true that our garden is a good example of the survival of the fittest. What the weather doesn't do to our carefully nurtured plants, the sheep (who manage to squeeze through the smallest gap) do instead, aided by the cats who think the shrubbery a marvellous place for a game of hide and seek, and the bantams do their best to "help" I found Bedelia, one of our Chinese Silkie bantams, solemnly picking all the flowers from one of the large flowered Polyanthus one by one. When I shouted at her to go away and leave it alone, she gave me a very haughty look and strutted off muttering to herself that she "didn't know what things were coming to, and some people thought they owned the place". You can't win. The springlike weather yesterday tempted me into the garden to tidy up the roses after the ravages of winter. They seemed to be shooting away in all directions, with some good strong growth, much earlier than they usually do. I like to give my bushes a light prune in the autumn and again about now. First I look for dieback and carefully cut back any infected stem to healthy wood about a quarter of an inch about a bud (the little swelling of a leaf node) towards the outer side of the bush. This cut

should be made in a slanting direction, sloping away from the developing bud so that the water can drain away from the bud when it rains. Each cut is smeared afterwards with a pruning paste, or if that is not available a smear of Vaseline. . The next stage is to get rid of all spindly or unhealthy looking growth, leaving only the strong stems to produce the shoots which will carry this year's crop of flowers. If the centre of the bush needs opening up to let in the light and air, it is a good plan to remove some of the unwanted growth. I cut out all the thinner stems right down to the root stock, checking as I did so for any little rogue shoots sprouting from below the union (the swelling where the stems join the rootstock). If I find these sprouting I remove them with a sharp knife. The remaining strong stems, usually about three or four, I cut back to about four or five good strong outside buds, and leave these to produce the new shoots. This is the time of the year to commence the spraying programme which should continue at fortnightly intervals all through the growing season. My next job will be to attack the climbers, which 1 will deal with by reducing the growth back to the strongest leaders, and cutting these back by about a third. The old-fashioned roses don't require too much in the way of pruning, just a general tidy-up of spindly growth and attention to any dieback.