In article ,
says...
On Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:34:14 -0000, Charlie Pridham
wrote:



Hebes have in recent years been suffering from a nasty fungal disease, I
have stopped growing them even though they used to do very well here, so
I suspect that some nurseries are losing more in the winter because they
are poorly and may have run out

When we first moved here, about ten years ago, I 'aquired' a number of
the tender, larger flowered, larger leaved hebes, mostly as cuttings.
Some were very sensitive to fungus disease and died out, but I have
one or two that were barely affected and seemed resistant to it. In
particular a lovely purple-red one that I was pleased to have survive,
and I have it in several places in the garden. It's also very
salt-gale tolerant. It got badly cut back by the cold weather earlier
this year, but it did come through and has grown again well. If you or
Janet would like some cutting material, I can oblige, although it may
be a bit late this year.

I also have a very dark blue-purple one, with purplish leaves,
although smaller flowers than the above. For years it struggled
against fungus, and I moved it from place to place in the garden, even
had it in a pot for a while. Eventually I just shoved it into an empty
spot in a do-or-die attitude, and at last it's started growing as it
should, and even had a couple of flowers this autumn. Perhaps it's at
last developed a resistance. Not big enough for cuttings yet, though.

Don't know the names of either of them I'm afraid.


I would like to try the purple red one next year if you have a surplus. I
do miss having them in the garden
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea