Halimium
These shrubs share with heathers their antipathy to an alkaline soil. They do, however, make splendid ground cover in shade for given a cool peaty soil they quickly colonise the available space with spreading underground stems. Gaultheria miqueliana from North America runs up the peat walls, hugging the ground with intimate affection. The white or pink, berries are conspicuous for only a brief period, due I believe to scrumping mice.
Native of the sun-warmed lands of Spain and Portugal though Halimium lasianthum is, it will still suffer our climate with equanimity given a well-drained soil and full exposure to our rather pallid sunshine. The smoke-grey leaves show the bright yellow flowers to good effect. Cuttings root easily if taken in July – August. I also find if the roots can penetrate under a stone or paving slab the shrub is longer lived.
With small glossy leaves, H. buxifolia is magnificent as ground cover under the rose Nevada, making a perfect foil to the white flowers. Ultimate height is about 24 in. with me.
Hebe cupressoides like armstrongii bears a strong resemblance to a cypress, only this time with grey foliage. This species makes a brave display of blue flowers against the grey back ground of the leaves and is at its best in July. It grows to between 24 and 48 in. depending on soil. Another very adaptable ground cover plant is H. pinquifoliapagei with glaucous grey leaves and white flowers in June. A neat 12 in. represents the full stature so it will fit into even a modest rock planting.
The types of hebes available is immense, but a selection would not be complete without a mention of the well-loved H. salicifolia. In really hard winters on a clay soil the bushes are damaged by frost and may even be cut down but they quickly refurnish themselves with new leaves in the spring. Flowering often depends on the severity of this vicious pruning, but it continues from July until autumn in most years.
Where space is limited there is a dwarf form which I grow as nana, but which is listed in some catalogues as Spender’s Seedling. This gem is only 24 in. in height compared to the species which is 5 ft. Cuttings of hebe root so readily they almost become an embarrassment, but surplus stock finds a ready welcome in less-favoured gardens.
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