Posted by topgazza on January 2, 2008, 9:12 am
This is a beautiful bush in my garden that flowers most of the year wit
the mauve flowers you see in the photo. There are still a couple lef
and picture 2 shows them..unflowering. Butterflies love it as do bee
in particular. I need to trim it back but I note that its is fairl
bare in the center with most of the leaves /flowers on the fringes
Firstly I need to identify the bush and secondly any tips on ho
aggressive I can be in cutting it back would be much appreciated.
[image: http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/topgazza/Bush2.jpg ]
[image: http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/topgazza/Bush1.jpg ]
[image: http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/topgazza/Bush3.jpg
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topgazza
Posted by Janet Baraclough on January 2, 2008, 11:11 am
> This is a beautiful bush in my garden that flowers most of the year with
> the mauve flowers you see in the photo. There are still a couple left
> and picture 2 shows them..unflowering. Butterflies love it as do bees
> in particular. I need to trim it back but I note that its is fairly
> bare in the center with most of the leaves /flowers on the fringes.
> Firstly I need to identify the bush and secondly any tips on how
> aggressive I can be in cutting it back would be much appreciated.
It's a hebe, a handsome longflowering plant which is particularly
suited to coastal situations.They also come in all shades of pink,
raspbery, purple and blue, and white flowers. Some stay quite low and
dense but others make a big loose bush 4ft high.
You can cut back the topgrowth of tall leggy ones hard and the stumps
will re-sprout just below the cuts. A spring feed of homemade compost,
or chicken pellets, around the roots, will encourage the new growth.
As back-up, stick some 9 inch straight (ish) sections of branch into a
spare spot of soil to half their depth, and they will easily root.
Janet.
Posted by topgazza on January 3, 2008, 6:01 am
Found it...Hebe 'Midsummer Beauty'....excellent help Jane
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topgazza
> the mauve flowers you see in the photo. There are still a couple left
> and picture 2 shows them..unflowering. Butterflies love it as do bees
> in particular. I need to trim it back but I note that its is fairly
> bare in the center with most of the leaves /flowers on the fringes.
> Firstly I need to identify the bush and secondly any tips on how
> aggressive I can be in cutting it back would be much appreciated.