Gardening Snootery (Was Hebes


Cyndi K wrote:
> 
> >Gardeners in the milder parts of the UK, certainly, tend to be a bit
> >sniffy about them. It's an absurd form of 'specialists' snobbery' or
> >'horto-masochism,' IMO. Because in such areas they thrive so well,
> >need so little care, flower so profusely and for so long (six months
> >non stop is nothing unusual), suffer no pests or diseases worth
> >mentioning, root as cuttings in a matter of moments, self-seed with
> >(generally!) tactful enthusiasm, 'serious' gardeners look down their
> >noses at them. Silly, really, isn't it?
> 
> LOL, Tim. I've certainly hit the same attitude here in the US, so it crosses
> international boundaries. I have abandoned it entirely. The plants I love
> most now are the ones that thrive no matter what....

Marvellous account of your patch Cyndi. I have had a lot of similar
experiences. For instance, while my alpine strawberies do just tolerate
the beds round my fruit trees the best clumps (and those providing the
most fruit) are either in a gravel path or between paving stones where
they
set themselves!

I don't have Gazanias at present (though I have grown them in the past)
but I do agree about their tough no-care hardiness and wonderful
patterning. They are marvellous value especially for dry banks and
seaside gardens.

In fact almost any of the plants you mention are friends of mine too.
Makes for a pleasantly relaxed style of gardening I should say.
-- 
Moira

Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)

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"Melissa B. Rose" wrote:
> 
> Can anyone comment on the appropriateness of hebes in a medit garden?
> I am in the Central Valley of California (Davis) with extremely long
> hot dry summers and winter temperatures that can drop into the teens
> and twenties.  There were several interesting hebes at Berkeley Hort
> in the bay area and was I wondering if any would do well in my
> garden.  Are they at all drought-tolerant?
> 
> I don't recall any discussion of these plants since I have been on the
> list, but maybe I missed something.

Hi Melissa,

I see no aesthetic objection to Hebes in such a setting as they are
generally tough-looking no-nonsense shrubs which somehow fit the scene I
think.

As to their growing requirements, I have generalised fairly extensively
about Hebes in another posting, but I should say that, while I can't
really make firm recommendations, some would probably cope with your
climate.I should think that any of the kinds with small or medium-sized
leaves would be worth trying. Those with large leaves (2-4" long and
correspondingly wide) are mostly related to H speciosa which would
probably stand your summer temps but not survive your winter ones. On
the other hand the "whipcord" species like 'James Stirling' (with tiny
leaves close adpressed along the stem and easily mistaken for conifers)
would take your winters in their stride but perish in your summers.

And for anyone who might be interested, the late James Stirling after
whom that whipcord Hebe is named was a delighful and knowledgeable man
with a passion for gardening and a broad Scots accent. He was
Superintendent of Parks in Wellington for many years and especially
noted for his innovative treatment of planting along the very first
motorways in the district. He also did remarkably effectively the first
TV broadcasts on gardening matters ever seen in this country, even
though hampered by the fact the transmissions of the time were still in
black and white.

Moira
 - 
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
WainX-Mozilla-Status: 0009on, capital city of New Zealand)
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